Tales of Yore: Book 1
by iamconstantine
Summary: Jackson Overland is a new visitor in Burgess. He's there on a whim, and he's intending to simply pass through without staying long. The town is nice, and so are its quirky residents, but it's just not for him. But a small boy named Jamie insists that he stays because according to him, Jackson is actually the mythical Jack Frost. INSPIRED BY ABC'S "ONCE UPON A TIME". I OWN NOTHING.
1. Fall of the Guardians

Darkness.

That's what Jack Frost had first remembered. That was his first memory of a Guardian was. The darkness, surrounding him as if it were the only matter to exit, as if it intended to engulf him. He had been so cold, so deathly cold and afraid, that he thought that if there were a feeling of death, that was it.

But then there was the Moon, beaming through the darkness as a sword of light. The Moon made the darkness flee in fear, made it release him. The coldness did not leave, but it became as familiar as walking. He did not notice it.

And the darkness, it was still there, it was still present. And when they battled the seeming personification of darkness and fear…well…he thought it was gone for good.

But no, it would stay forever.

And it was coming for them.

To be honest with himself, he was terrified. Jack's heart did not beat, though it actually never did. It was frozen, excuse the pun. But if it were beating, it would be breaking his frosted ribs with each impact. He could not sweat, either, but he felt frost gathering on his cold, snowy skin. His grip on his staff was tight. He couldn't think of anything else to do with his hands.

To his chagrin, he was not the only one afraid. The others were nervous, too, even the Russian warrior. Even _he _did not know what was coming. Their only hope…was nowhere to be found…

But still, Nicholas Saint North stood tall and solid. He refused to sit in the large red chair made just for his bulging frame. "The hour draws close," he told them in his thick Russian accent. His blue eyes were icy. "There is no time for hesitation."

The Guardians nod in understanding. Cottontail was uncharacteristically quiet. He had not complained on his delay in Easter-preparation progress. Jack went as far as to call him 'The Easter Kangaroo', but Bunnymund didn't bat an eye. It was almost as if he hadn't heart him.

To be fair, there were only six of them present.

There was supposed to be eight.

North leans forward, his massive hands pressing into the mahogany of the grand table. "Fear is not affordable. Sandy, are you ready?"

The Sandman nodded without an image appearing above his head. He had always had the habit of drifting to sleep at random times, but he was wide-awake now. The images above his head were scarce and only generic.

"Cupid, are the cherubs prepared?"

The Guardian of Love nodded. In his crimson tailcoat and snowy slacks, his eyes the color of rosebuds and his hair as dark as hickory, he wasn't anything like Jack had imagined him to be. Though, to be fair, the Easter Bunny wasn't a small widdle rabbit the color of marshmallows, and the Tooth Fairy wasn't a glittery ballerina with a magic wand. So he wasn't too surprised that Cupid wasn't a pudgy baby in a diaper with tiny wings. Not even his cherubs resembled such things. They were tiny, pink things, with fluffy red feelers on the sides of their heads that fluttered as wings. Cupid didn't like to talk much.

"Bunnymund, the portal. Attend to it."

"Aye, mate." The six-foot-tall rabbit bounded out of his chair and darted for the doors. His role would be vital.

"Then we are ready." North unsheathed a sword from his belt. He took a deep breath. "If anything happens tonight…it has been an honor serving with you all. Tooth, come."

"…"

"Tooth!"

The fairy's head snapped up in response. Jack was worried for her the most out of the others. Toothiana, the giddy, cheery, never-frowning queen, was as quiet and as dull as rain. She had not smiled in days. She solemnly spoke out of the boundaries of business. Even her wings were out of balance, constantly stuttering and allowing her to lower occasionally. As worried as Jack was about her, he was shocked—and amazed—when she appeared today with twin swords as sharp as razors. Even her Mini-Fairies sported copies of them, as small as needles. Baby Tooth fluttered close to her queen, placing a tiny hand upon her cheek. Toothiana gave her a sad smile before turning to North with a curt nod. "Let's go."

"Jack, come."

Jack stood so quickly he had to tell himself to calm down. He was too jumpy for his own good. He was sure he'd start a blizzard if he were not careful.

And when Jack turned, he turned to an eleven-year-old boy with chocolate eyes and chocolate hair, who reminded him of his sister, who he knew was taking a staggering risk, who he knew was undoubtedly terrified.

"C'mon, Jamie."

As he, the boy, and her royal Majesty followed the Russian soldier out of the hall, Jack turned to Toothiana wordlessly. Her amethyst eyes were downcast to the floor ahead. If she noticed him looking at her, she did nothing of it. Her Mini Fairies' eyes were locked onto her face.

"Tooth."

Her eyes finally rose to his. Usually glittering like gems, they were now as solid as stones.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a whisper.

She paused for a long moment. The corner of her mouth twitched, and for a second, Jack thought that she'd smile her usual sweet smile and say "Yeah" or "I'm fine". But the movement was gone as quickly as it occurred, and she muttered, "No."

He wanted to ask her what was wrong. He felt that this did not pertain to the danger at hand, felt that it wasn't out of worry for the Mini Fairies that were awaiting her at her palace. It was as if something else were bothering her. The others had said nothing, and when he attempted to approach her, Bunnymund had pulled him back and said, "Don't, mate. She needs her space."

"If something happens," he whispered, and her head rose at attention, "I should let you know…" He glanced up at North. "…I liked you the most."

She did smile that time, momentarily, and a glimmer of it reached her eyes. But it was only for a beat, and she returned to her silence.

"Jack."

He turned to Jamie, who was frowning in concern. "Yeah?"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"…I don't know. Will you?"

Jamie pulled his vest tighter around his frame, and shrugged.

* * *

><p>Cupid kept his back straight as the cold winds of the Antarctic valley blasted against him. The icy pricks of the sharp snow stung his cheeks, and his dark locks whipped around his head. The tails of his coat whipped around in the breeze. He walked off the edge of the deck, and invisible steps fabricated at his feet. Cherubs approached him at once, fluttering anxiously.<p>

He approached side-by-side with the small golden man sitting upon the cloud of sand. The shimmering whips in his hands, he knew, could cut through steel.

"Well, old man," he said in his thick Greek tongue, "Good luck."

Sandy said nothing, but nodded.

And as the darkness—in the form of thick, black smoke, bubbled over the horizon, engulfing the blizzard storms as if it were a beast—Cupid's sleek black bow and heart-headed arrow materialized, ready for battle.

* * *

><p>The Guardian of Wonder, the Guardian of Memories, and the Guardian of Fun entered the room stiffly.<p>

Bunnymund stood at attention. The middle of the room was cleared, not a crumb left on the floor. The Guardians approached in the formation of a diamond, and they froze when the blasting winds outside of the thick windows stilled. It was here. It was time.

"Now, Bunnymund."

Bunnymund reached into the satchel at his side and pulled out the key element. What seemed to be a large pearl was taken out, and he snapped it open easily. A tiny vial was inside, and within it, a small golden droplet of liquid. A quiet singing voice emitted from the vial when he opened it.

One of Bunnymund's legs thumped against the floor. It sunk inwards, leaving a gaping pit in its wake. Bunnymund cast a look around the others before raising the vial and dripping the one droplet into the pit.

* * *

><p>Cupid knew it was futile, but what was he to do?<p>

Every arrow he fired, every swing he took, it did nothing. The darkness was not smoke; it was a mass of spindly black arms and hands. The arrows exploded into red blasts on impact, and that held it back, but only for a second at a time. It returned as determined as ever. It clawed at him with thin hands, tearing his coat and pants. The cherubs were handling themselves, but just barely.

The Sandman fared better. He was actually withstanding their attempts of harm, and his whips made them recede. But his whips could only go so far.

As a hand latched around his arm, Cupid knew that they were not defending the others; they were just giving them time to escape.

* * *

><p>The pit was engulfed in a blinding light.<p>

Jack winced as his eyes stung with the force. When he opened them, he saw that what was once the pit was now a void of…well, he couldn't tell what it was. He wanted to say wisps of blue light, but they were not quite blue, not quite white, not quite silver or gold. It just seemed to be an endless void. Jamie was gaping at the sight of it, awed beyond comprehension.

The Guardians said nothing for a moment. They seemed too…scared? Worried? Anxious? Someone was going to have to go first, but they didn't know who. This was a risk too great to comprehend. On one hand, they could emerge safely, on the other, they may not emerge at all.

"Any takers?" Bunnymund inquired. It was meant to be a source of last-minute humor, but it was dry and dull.

North stepped forward and paused to turn to Jamie. He patted the boy's head gingerly, causing him to smile. North did as well, in a last attempt to comfort himself. All would be well. Jamie would be fine.

But as he stepped forth into the void, the gray and blue air outside the windows became pitcher than black.

And when a cold filled the room—an unnatural cold, an unearthly cold, colder than Jack but without feeling—North turned to Toothiana and said, "Tooth, now! Go!"

Toothiana paused, and Jack's stomach plummeted. Toothiana _was _terrified. She was scared for her life. And her Mini Fairies buzzed with protest, but she pressed her lips together, nodded, and darted out of the room without a word.

Jamie stepped forward, but Jack spoke first. "You can't send her out there alone!"

North said nothing.

* * *

><p>Toothiana's grip on her sword hardened to the point of blistering.<p>

She told herself to breath, and she did. She told herself to go forward, and she continued. She told herself to refrain from looking back, so she did.

She told herself not to be scared, but she was.

When she entered the Globe Room, she felt sick.

The Room, which was once so full of life and energy, was lifeless. Toys were not whizzing through the air. Yetis were not running to and fro in work. Elves were not hustling about, their bells jingling. Everything was silent and stale and even though the Mini Fairies were at her ears, she felt so overbearingly alone.

She could only hear her breaths and the flutters of wings. She pushed forward and steadied herself—

And she felt it.

She did not hear it or see it, she felt it. The cold feeling of nothingness ripping through her chest and the hollowness it left behind. She could not breathe any longer. Her wings halted, and she dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap. The fairies fell limp, too small to bear it. Tooth felt the instinct to scoop them up and hug them close, but she couldn't. Instead, she stood, swayed, and steadied herself.

But when Toothiana raised her swords, and she felt them collide with something only for a moment, she knew that this was her end.

* * *

><p>Toothiana's scream ripped through the air.<p>

The Guardians jumped in shock. Jack felt as if he were going to vomit. Jamie seemed to be teetering between screaming himself and crying.

_Tooth…it got Tooth…No…no, no, no! It wasn't supposed to be like this! It wasn't supposed to be _her!

"Bunnymund, let's go!"

Bunnymund did not hesitate for a moment. He and the Russian darted for the doors, and as Bunnymund disappeared from sight, North turned to the ice elf. Jack's mouth went dry. He felt like crying, something he rarely did.

"North, you can't go!"

"Jack—"

"No! It wasn't supposed to be like this!"

"Be brave Jack. You must. Be. Brave. All will be fine, but Jamie must leave."

The boy's eyes widened in shock.

"Remember your center…"

And North was gone, the colossal doors slamming shut behind him. The large wooden block came down between the locks. North would not be returning, nor would Bunnymund nor Tooth nor Sandy nor Cupid.

Jack pulled Jamie to the portal. Jamie froze at the edge. He was about to cry, Jack knew it. His eyes were already watering. He pulled on Jack's blue hoodie, and when he spoke, his voice was as broken as glass. "Jack."

"Jamie, we have to go."

"But what about—"

"They will be alright, Jamie. But we have to go _now._"

"Jack, I'm scared."

"…I know. But we're…"

And in that moment, the doors burst open.

Time seemed to slow. The mass of black arms entered at the speed of sound itself. It surged forward, grappling for them, reaching for them. Jack felt no emotion in that moment, no fear nor sadness. He felt nothing.

And in that moment, Jack turned to the boy…the last hope, looking up at him with frozen terror and blearing eyes…and shoved his staff to his chest. With one last statement, Jack pushed Jamie with his last strength.

"Find us."

Jamie fell backwards into the portal.

It engulfed him, and he was gone.

The darkness took hold of Jack.

It engulfed him, and he was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is!<strong>

**Would you guys please help and send me lists of mythological creatures? Not fairy tales, like Rapunzel or Cinderella, but things like Baby New Year and whatnot. I need it for the story.**

**~iamconstantine.**


	2. Frost P1

**FLASHBACKS **will be signaled.

* * *

><p>1:23 in the afternoon, and Jackson was dying of boredom.<p>

The bus was his prison, one that was steadily moving at one mile per hour. The seats, though comfortable, were spall with plastic dividers that made positioning limited. The air conditioners dripped with water and only seemed content to blast cold air, and though it didn't bother Jackson during the day, last night he had curled in his seat to get warm. The windows were thin and the driver was the loudest man on the planet. He nearly had to blast his iPod to full volume to block out his boisterous tales completely. The people were alright, though few. Six people remained: himself, a silent woman, a grandmotherly woman with a giant red purse, a guy who snored like thunder, and a couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Winter around these parts, he was told, was particularly frigid, but snow was unheard of. So sure, expect the possibility of frostbite and hypothermia, but no snow. The windows were fogged to near-opaqueness and when he removed his head from the one beside him, his wet hair left a stringy silhouette. He readjusted his earphones and focused on the passing trees.

He'd get off at the next stop; maybe get the next bus if he wasn't satisfied. Or, alternatively, he would stop in this town tonight and get a room at an inn. He had enough money for it, surely. The question was, where he would find an inn and if there were any rooms available.

At green sign approached on the side of the road, and he craned his neck to read it.

_Welcome to Burgess!  
>Enjoy your stay!<em>

He rolled his brown eyes instinctively. That sounded like something the innkeeper would say.

The first signs of civilization came into view. Hickory and pine trees, electricity poles, and a few solitary houses began to pass. Jackson removed the earphones from his ears and tucked them and his iPod into his satchel pocket. The bus came into a street—an _actual _street—and turned to face a fork in the road. The bus slowed and, with a hiss, came to a halt.

Jackson and the other passengers stood and gathered their things. He opened the compartment above him and pulled out his duffel bag. It contained his clothes, toiletries, and shoes. His satchel held his laptop, iPod, chargers, and other miscellaneous. The bag was heavy, as was the satchel, but he couldn't afford to lose either of them. The bus would leave in thirty minutes, but he was taking them in the case that he stayed for the next bus or the bus after or the bus after.

Jackson exited and experienced the foretold cold of Burgess. Within seconds, his ears and nose stung with cold, but he wasn't bothered. He went for the nearest curb and entered the first building available. Heat welcomed him, as did the chime of a bell. It looked like an inn lobby—great—but there were no others in the lobby. There was a single, small blond man sitting behind the reception desk, snoring softly. He didn't stir at the bell and Jackson didn't feel like waking him.

He pulled a sweater and his blue jacket from his bag, as well as a pair of gloves. He pulled them all on and zipped the bag close afterwards.

The street of Burgess was rural and rustic, with shops and other buildings, all made of brick and pressed against one another, a few alleys wedged in here-and-there. Some signs were painted to the windows; others were painted to pieces of wood and hanging before the doors. Cars passed by on the streets, and the traffic lights flashed in rhythm.

He had enough time to walk around, he decided. He turned down the sidewalk and decided to find a map more than anything else at the time being. He'd find a map and—

A paper hit his shoe, and he stooped down to pick it up. His dark eyebrows furrowed at the picture drawn on it. It looked like a fair sketch of some large, furry creatures similar to yetis.

"Excuse me! Sorry! I didn't mean to drop it…"

Jackson turned to the source of the voice, a small young boy with messy brown hair and large brown eyes. He was holding a small book under his arm, with papers folded between the pages. He took the paper from Jackson's hand and said, "Sorry. I was—"

His eyes rose to Jackson's face, and for a moment, he seemed speechless. His lips parted slightly, and his eyes widened. His mouth moved in the formation of words, and after a moment, he said, "Hi."

Jackson paused. This kid seemed particularly shy. "Hi."

"You must be new here."

"Nope, I'm just passing through on the bus."

"Can I help you with your bag?"

"No, it' fine, I—"

The boy moved forward and took hold of Jackson's duffel bag, taking it himself. Jackson felt uncomfortable with strangers—children regardless—taking hold of his possessions, but in the end, he simply said, "Okay…"

"I'm Jamie Bennett. I live here."

"Jackson Overland, and I do _not _live here."

"I know. Burgess is big, but everyone knows each other. Mr. Mansnoozie owns that inn, and Aster owns the flower shop. We have a lot of things in Burgess, like the University, the bakery, the library, and we have a hospital, too, but it's kind of far from here…"

Jamie folded his paper and tucked it into the pages of his book. When he folded the cover back, Jackson read the title out of curiosity. _They're Out There—Mysteries, Mythical Creatures, and the Unexplained Phenomena. _"That looks interesting. Good book?"

Jamie smiled, as if pleased with the question. He nodded and turned to a bookmarked page. As he flipped the pages over, Jackson saw that he had drawn notes and pasted Post-Its to various pages. "It's about all the mythological creatures and beings in existence." He flipped through the pages some more, stopping sometimes. "My friend made it. I've got everything about elves, fairies, and trolls in here. I make notes every time I find something new. Like, fairies don't really look like people; they're kind of like hummingbirds."

Jackson nodded just to amuse the kid. Of course, he didn't believe in those fairy tales. There was no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy, no Bigfoot or Santa Claus. But he wasn't going to bring a child down from believing that. "And who are you looking into right now?"

Jamie smiled as if he were just _waiting _for Jackson to ask. He turned to another bookmarked page and flipped it open. Inside, Jackson could see black scrawl, snowflakes, and aged drawings of a white-haired male. "Jack Frost. He's an ice elf and he—"

"Jamie!"

They both turned to see who was calling. It was a middle-aged woman in a sweater, coat and jeans, with long ponytailed chocolate hair and brown eyes just like Jamie's. She was fastening a fidgeting blonde girl into a car eat inside a blue minivan. "Come on, sweetie, we'll be late for your appointment!" The woman paused at the sight of Jackson, and her lips pursed.

"Coming, Mom!" Jamie looked up at Jackson with alarming urgency. "How long are you going to be in town?"

"Um…I guess I'll be staying for today…"

"Great!" Jamie removed Jackson's duffel bag from his shoulder and passed it to him. Jackson took it, still curious to as why a kid he had just met was so eager to see him. "Meet me at the diner in an hour! It's called The Clover, alright?"

"Uh…Jamie, why do you want to talk to me so bad?"

"We have a lot to catch up on! Just meet me in an hour!"

He climbed into the blue minivan without another word. His mother scolded him for talking to strangers, but Jamie's only reply was a half-hearted 'okay'.

But the way Jamie said 'We have a lot to catch up on!' made Jackson think that they had met before.

* * *

><p>"Jackson Overland? I've never heard of him."<p>

"He's new in town. He came in on the bus, and he says he'll be staying for today."

Dr. Thaddeus Ombric nodded and pushed his half-moon spectacles further up the bridge of his nose. Jamie didn't know how old Dr. Thaddeus was, but he was old enough to have lengthy crow's feet and a snowy beard so long that it came down to the waist of his pants. In his long, robe-like white laboratory coat, he almost looked like a wizard.

Dr. Thaddeus scribbled into his clipboard. He clicked his pen—he did so every time he finished a line—and lifted his watery blue eyes to Jamie. "And who do you think he is?"

Jamie immediately opened his book and turned to the bookmarked page. He turned it around and pushed it towards Dr. Thaddeus, who took it in his wrinkled hands.

"Jack Frost?"

Jamie nodded vigorously. Dr. Thaddeus was used to this, asking Jamie Bennett who he thought the residents of Burgess "_really_" were, but he hadn't seen him so excited about it before, not even when he said that the innkeeper was The Sandman. "He's here! He's finally here!"

"You were expecting him?"

Jamie sighed. This was the 17th time (he counted!) that he had to tell the tale to Dr. Thaddeus. But a moment later, his excitement was at full throttle yet again. "Yes! Remember? He was the one who saved me! He's the one—"

"—who will help you save us all." Dr. Thaddeus nodded and scribbled on his clipboard again. "Yes, I remember now. He's the one who saved you from the darkness."

"Yes! And now that he's here, I can save everyone and they can all go home! Things can go back to the way they used to be!"

Dr. Thaddeus scribbled in his clipboard.

"You don't believe me."

"Jamie, I'm not here to encourage these fantasies, I'm here to e_nd _them."

"They're not fantasies! He's Jack Frost, Aster is the Easter Bunny, and you're—"

"Father Time, I know! I know. But, Jamie…" Dr. Thaddeus removed his spectacles and rubbed his temples. Arguing with Jamie was equivalent to arguing with a brick wall: Pointless and…weird. "Have you been taking your medication?"

Jamie sat back on the comforter with a huff.

"Jamie, this is for your own good."

"No, this is for my Mom, and my classmates, and everyone else who thinks I'm a freak."

"Your mother is worried about you, Jamie. She's taking this just as hard as you are."

Jamie looked Dr. Thaddeus up and down, as if taking him in. "If I was your son and this was still going on, what would you do?"

"I would have no problem with it and listen to every tale you had to tell. But you're not my son, and your mother doesn't have that opinion. That's why you have to come in here Monday through Saturday."

Jamie leaned forward. "So you don't think I'm crazy?"

Dr. Thaddeus leaned forward as well. "Not any more than I am."

He chuckled, and Jamie giggled.

The door opened then, and Jamie's mother entered the room. Dr. Thaddeus frowned and leaned back at once, but Miranda Bennett noticed. She frowned at the umpteenth time that she had caught Dr. Thaddeus and her son playing around instead of having an actual appointment. "Good evening, Dr. Thaddeus."

"Good evening, Miranda. You know I don't like intrusions on my appointments."

"It's been an hour. The appointment time is up."

Jamie picked up his book and darted past his mother for the door. Miranda turned to Dr. Thaddeus with a scrutinizing glare. Dr. Thaddeus fidgeted. "Yes?"

"Thaddeus—"

"He's a boy, Miranda. He's a child. There is nothing abnormal about believing in mythological creatures! You believed in them when you were his age, I'm sure."

"That was different, Thaddeus. That started when I was five and ended when I was eight."

"Are you saying that it's abnormal at the age of eleven?"

"_No, _I'm saying it's abnormal when it's been going on his whole life. Thaddeus, the first time he began to draw real pictures, he was drawing these things, these…creatures, and it was like it was from memory. He was drawing the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy _before I even told him about them!_"

"He may have heard it from his preschool teacher, no?"

"Thaddeus…For the past ten years, all I have seen is him talk about these things. He's drawn pictures, made books, and collected every feather and hair he comes across. The kids at school, they pick on him. The mothers whisper every time we go somewhere. He's convinced that every person in this town is some kind of wizard or whatnot. And ever since Nicholas gave him that book, he's been defending them with his life! I'm not paying you to giggle and laugh along with this; I'm paying you to end it. The next time I come in here and see you _not _doing your job, consider yourself fired."

"Miranda…in the words of a giggling, laughing doctor, maybe you should stop sending a ten-year-old to therapy sessions and actually talk to him yourself."

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>"Jamie…you drew Santa Claus again?"<p>

Jamie's face fell. His mother's comments of his drawing had been slowly decreasing. It had gone from an encouraging "That's cool/good, Jamie" to a half-hearted "That's nice…", and now he was being asked why he continued doing these pictures.

Miranda scooted away from her computer and shook her head at the drawing. Other kids her son's age drew dinosaurs or robots or zombies or whatever was reasonable, but no, her son liked to draw Santa Claus in the middle of July. And it was not a jolly, rosy-cheeked, cookie-eating Santa Claus, no. This Santa Claus had two swords, an army of yetis, and a sled like a military jet plane. And the Easter Bunny was six-feet-tall with boomerangs and living eggs. And the Tooth Fairy was a hummingbird-woman with wings like a bug…

"Jamie…you have to learn now that all these beings, Santa Claus and the Sandman, they aren't real."

"Yes they are. I've met them, and so has Sophie! The Tooth Fairy—well, she likes to be called Tooth, but anyways—she lives in this huge palace above the clouds."

"Jamie—"

"And the Sandman has this golden sand that he can use to make anything."

"Jamie—"

"And Jack Frost, he has this wooden staff that he uses to—"

"Jamie!"

"What?"

"Enough, Jamie. Enough with all of this. I don't want to hear it anymore."

"…But…But they're real! Jack's going to visit me tonight and…"

"Jack Frost does not visit you, Jamie. You're just having the same recurring dream over and over. I told you, we're going to go see Dr. Leonard tomorrow."

"I don't want to go see a doctor! I don't need to!"

"Jamie, stop! Ever since I said that _one _time, 'Jack Frost will nip at your nose'—"

"Stop saying that! You know he doesn't like it when people say that!"

"Jamie…"

Jamie turned on his heel and stormed out of his mother's room. His mother called after him, but he didn't turn around.

He felt his eyes and throat burn with incoming tears. Jamie wished that his mother could see what he saw. He wished that he could introduce her to Jack. But Jack said that adults couldn't see the Guardians because they didn't believe in them. He said that "Believing is seeing", as North put it. He said that the reason the Guardians weren't supposed to be seen by children or adults was because, well, if they were in the middle of a working night and had to deal with an excited boy or girl, they'd be set back. But North let him visit Jamie, since Jack could do his job whenever he felt like it.

"Jamie?"

Sophie's head peeked around the corner of her bedroom door. Her unruly blond hair swayed as she padded over to her brother. "Why Jamie sad?"

"Not now, Sophie."

"Why Jamie so sad?"

Jamie felt that anger burn in him, that anger when you were upset with something and got annoyed with every little thing that happened. He was about to tell Sophie to leave him alone and go to her room, but instead took a deep breath. "Now now, Sophie, okay? It's nothing."

"Okay, Jamie…" Sophie whispered before padding back to her room. Her pink cardboard wings swayed on her back.

Jamie entered his room and shut his door without slamming it. He made way to his bed, and paused when he was about to sit down. The wall around and over his bed was packed tight with pictures he had drawn. Not a single inch was left exposed. He thought that they were good, that they were just like Jack told him. He drew the Guardians, and the Mini Fairies, and the Eggs, and the Yetis…

…And yet, every time his mother saw them, she shook her head to herself and avoided looking at them.

A knock at the window caught his attention.

Jack hovered outside the glass, his pale knuckles tapping against the pane of the window. He was learning to phase through walls—Tooth had mastered such a skill a long time ago and was teaching him how—but for now, he needed open windows to get inside. As Jamie approached, Jack noticed his fallen demeanor and tilted his head to the side.

Jamie opened the window, and as Jack entered, so did a gust of cold air. Frost curled on the glass at once. Jack stood on the carpet with his bare feet and held his wooden staff close as Jamie shut the door again. His blue eyes took the boy in. "What's wrong, champ?"

Jamie shook his head and went back to his bed. Jack jumped up and sat on the hook of his staff with the balance of a cat. "It's my Mom again."

"Ugh, the No-Nonsense Queen?" Jack rolled his eyes and put on a fake feminine wilt. "'Put on your coat, Jamie, or Jack Frost will nip at your nose.' I don't even get it! What does 'nip' mean?!"

Jamie chuckled shortly. Jack could tell that no joke was going to lighten him up, so he stood by the bed and leaned on his staff. "What did she do this time?"

"She's taking me to a doctor tomorrow to talk about my 'recurring dreams'. She won't listen to a word I say."

"Adults are weird," said Jack. "They're all egocentric. And just because someone says something isn't true, doesn't mean it isn't."

"She says I'm getting too old for this."

"Age does not define truth. Like North would say." Jack put on a fake Russian accent for the next line. "'Truth is like wind. You cannot see it, but it is there.'"

Jamie laughed at the impression as Jack sat down next to him. "Don't worry, Jamie. The others and I are still here."

Jamie nodded. Even if his mother didn't understand, he knew what was real and that would be that. He just needed to learn how to be satisfied.

Jack's comment made him recall something. "You're here earlier than usual. What's wrong?"

Jack's serene smirk vanished. He frowned, looking away from Jamie for a moment. When he looked back at him, he stood up from the bed and took hold of his staff.

"We need you at the North Pole."

* * *

><p><strong>MYTHOLOGICAL BEING ALREADY LISTED:<strong>

Tooth Fairy

Easter Bunny

Santa Claus

Sandman

Jack Frost

The Bogeyman

Mother Nature

The Fates

The Leprechaun

The Groundhog

Cupid

Baby New Year

Father Time

Mother Goose

**If you would like to extend the list, please do so.**


	3. Frost P2

**FLASHBACKS **will be signaled.

* * *

><p>"Jack Frost?"<p>

Jamie nodded vigorously before taking a sip of his iced tea. The Clover, Jackson learned, was a diner/pub in Burgess. The whole place reeked of grease, but it wasn't a bothering odor. The menu was amazingly cheap, a dollar for every drink (excluding free water) and a maximum of six dollars per food item. Jackson could tell just by looking around that this town had the quirkiest residents to be seen. In the corner, a thickly gray-haired man with piercing green eyes and tribal tattoos on his biceps and chest was sipping a steaming cup of coffee. A Korean man in a thick red coat read a book beside the window. Two children, a brunette girl and a platinum blond boy, were discussing something urgent. The owner himself was a red-haired man with a smoke pipe between his lips.

Jamie picked up a golden French fry from his plate and said, "You don't really control the winter weather, but you can make things happen. Like, you can make snow fall and frost appear on stuff. You liked to make snowball fights."

Jackson moved his head from his knuckles, leaving red imprints on his pale skin. He took a deep breath, and his lips moved to form words that wouldn't sound. In the end, all he could spit out was, "What?"

Jamie visibly deflated and turned the page over. He pointed at a taped-in picture he seemed to have drawn himself. It was a stick-figure with white hair, a blue shirt, brown pants and some kind of wooden staff in his right hand. There were other images beside it, like crude frost patterns and snowflakes.

"You were Jack Frost. When The Dark came in and took everything, you shoved me into a portal and saved me. The Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus all went with you. That's why you're here, now."

Jackson sighed deeply. "So…you think that there was a past life where I was Jack Frost, saved you by pushing you into a portal, and now, me and the other…'Guardians' are all here in Burgess with no idea who we are?"

"I don't think that, I _know _that. The Dark came in, it took everyone's memories and sent them here. The portal let me keep my memories. You were supposed to come too, but…"

Jamie paused when he looked at Jackson's face. He was staring at Jamie with lidded eyes and a raised eyebrow.

"No one's ever believed me in this. I don't think you will right now, since you just got here, but maybe you'll figure it out eventually."

Jackson had always liked children. He knew how to get along with them, he knew how they liked to play, he knew all there was to know. And Jamie was a sweet kid, sure, and really endearing, but…Alright, maybe this kid just had an abnormally big imagination.

"So that's why you were so nice to me today?"

Jamie nodded sadly, and twisted a French fry nugget around his plate. "We were friends. I don't know if you made it out or not."

Jackson nodded slowly. "Alright, so…if the…um…"

"Guardians."

"Right, so if all the Guardians are supposed to be here, how come I just came here today?"

He meant it as a tease, a jest at his tale, but he was surprised when Jamie replied quite seriously. "I don't know. For a while, I thought it was because you were dead, but I don't know about it now."

"Alright…and you're the only one who 'remembers' what happened?"

"Right. Because I was the only one who went through the portal."

"Right, right…And everyone else in Burgess is a Guardian, too?"

"Everyone except me and my family."

"So…the people in here, now, are Guardians or other creatures or whatnot?"

Jamie nodded once again and pointed to the tattooed man in the corner. "That's Bun—_Aster_, he used to be the Easter Bunny." He pointed the Korean man in the red coat. "That's Valentine, used to be Cupid." The next to be gestured to was the pair of children. "That's Nile and Kate. I don't know who Nile was, but I think Kate was Mother Goose."

Jackson nodded again and chewed on the end of his straw. "Alright."

"Are you really leaving tomorrow?" Jamie asked with a frown.

"I'm planning on it."

Jamie nodded without looking at him. He took another sip of tea and pulled the book to him. Flipping over the pages, Jackson could see slight glimpses of the former beings Jamie had just finished telling him of: the Easter Bunny, who was six-foot tall, a master of tai chi, with explosive eggs and powerful boomerangs; the Tooth Fairy, who was half-hummingbird and half-human (apparently, Jack couldn't quite grasp it) who lived in a palace in Thailand with thousands of miniature versions of herself; and Santa Claus, who was a Russian Cossack with two swords and snow globes that could create transportation devices. Jamie stopped on the final page, and turned to the cover. He ran his fingers over the name of the author: _Anonymous._

"You don't know who made that?"

"No," Jamie replied. "But Nicholas gave it to me for my birthday. He said he found it in his shop."

Jackson nodded, not quite knowing what to say. He paused, and then asked, "So…How am I important?"

"Now that you're here, all the Guardians are together again. I don't know how, but we'll have to find out how to make everyone remember—"

Jamie's words halted into silence. His brown eyes stared behind Jackson, and just as the teenager was about to turn around and see what the problem was, the young boy ducked down underneath the table. Jackson's eyebrows furrowed and he finally turned. He saw, at the front of the restaurant, a tall brunette woman in a sweater speaking with the owner. Jamie's mother, Jackson realized.

He turned back to Jamie, who was staring at his mother with severe caution. "Uh…is everything alright?"

"She isn't supposed to know that I'm here. I told her I went to the library."

Jackson chuckled. He liked this kid better by the minute. "You're hiding from your mother?"

Jamie nodded with such mutiny that Jackson chuckled again.

Jackson turned and looked again. Jamie's mother and the owner continued to speak. "Wait…" She turned with the owner, looking at something on the wooden shelves beside the entrance. "Go, now! Go!"

Jamie quickly darted out from under the table, snatched the book from its surface, and bolted for the back door. The door rang a bell when it opened, urging the boy to run faster. Jackson shook his head and finished his tea, pulling out his wallet to pay for the service. He'd head for the inn soon.

* * *

><p>The innkeeper—whose name he found out was Mr. Mansnoozie, and great Scott was he going to have fun with that—gave him an old-fashioned key to Room #5. He didn't speak, just nodded and returned to the checkbook spread out across the front desk.<p>

The room was much nicer than Jack expected it to be. Given, he didn't think it'd be bad. He once stayed at a motel in Baltimore with a broken door handle, a useless light, and a sink brown with grime. This room was actually quite homely. The floor was made of beige carpet and there were four lights in a square formation in the ceiling. There was one television upon a set of drawers, and a small table and a cushioned red chair beside the bed. The bed itself had soft sheets and a dark gold spread and when he sat down on it, it sank inwards. The sink, bathtub, and toilet were sparkling clean. Other necessities, such as towels, soap, an ice bucket, and a coffee maker, were all accounted for. The price was forty dollars a night, which was just in his budget.

He set his duffel beside the bed and plugged in his phone to recharge. He removed his jacket and draped it on the back of the chair. There was a small "brochure" of Burgess, so he looked at that. There were four restaurants, The Clover included. The library was three streets away, the University was at the northern end of town, and the museum was near it. Other addresses, such as a dentist office, the hospital, and the bus station were also listed.

Searching through the channels of the television—he remarked with surprise that though it was outdated, the screen was of high definition—he heard a knock at the door. Not sure who to expect, he supposed it was the innkeeper and stood to answer the door.

When he did, he found that it was not the innkeeper. In fact, it was the exact opposite of him. In the place of the short, squat, blonde and tanned man was a tall, thin, jet-haired and pasty-skinned man. His eyes were hazel, and his face was long and thin. In a long black coat and slacks, he held an intimidating air to him. He smiled at Jackson, flashing grey teeth.

"Good evening. Mind if I have a word?"

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>Going through the portal was similar to diving through a wind tunnel. For a moment, Jamie was falling and air was billowing all around him, and the next, he was laying on his side.<p>

When he opened his eyes, he saw Jack beside him, sprawled like a rag doll. The winter spirit huffed as he stood to his feet, shaking his disorientated head. "Never going to get used to that landing…"

Jamie chuckled and raised his head. His jaw dropped at the sight around him. The building he was in seemed endlessly large, with an arched ceiling and several landings. Everything seemed to be made of hickory or oak. Behind him was a colossal model of the Earth, with golden lights speckling its surface as it rotated. Tapestries and rugs were everywhere, and the smell of spice was homely. So this was the North Pole.

It was nice, but…lifeless. He thought that there would be yetis and elves running to and fro, but instead, neither species were in sight. It seemed too…quiet. The building was far too large for such silence.

Looking up, his face broke into a grin when he saw the other Guardians. The grin soon faded when he noticed their looks of severity and concern. North was pacing in circles, rubbing his chin behind his beard. Bunnymund was thumping is hind leg as if it were a nervous tic. Sandy was wringing his small hands together. Toothiana was…well, she was standing still, but her wings and posture seemed off balance. There was someone else there, a tall man with red eyes and dark hair. Jamie didn't recognize him, nor the small pink creatures buzzing around him.

North finally seemed to notice them, despite their crashing entrance. "They have arrived. Good." He clapped his massive hands together and ushered them to stand. Jack helped Jamie to his feet as North continued, "Now to the more trivial manners. Cupid, Sandy, a word, please."

The tall man and Sandy nodded and followed North a few feet away. Jack paused, as if uncomfortable with the heavy atmosphere. He approached Bunnymund, who was constantly shifting and squirming. "Everything alright?"

"What?" Bunnymund raised his head, paused, and nodded when he seemed to understand mate. "Yeah, mate, everything's fine."

"You sure?"

"…"

"…Hello?" Jack frowned, as if annoyed that he was being ignored. "Easter Kangaroo, can you hear me?"

Bunnymund didn't even twitch. "Bail me alone, mate." He sighed and leaned on a pillar yet again. Jack took this as a sign to back off, and did so.

Jack's eyes turned to the flittering fairy queen, his head tilting to see a better view of her face. Even when despaired and concerned, Toothiana usually held an emotion to her features, lest it be large amethyst eyes darting around her environment or a small hand raised to her chin. But she was standing stock still, her hands folded before her and her eyes downcast to the floor. She was not instructing the Mini Fairies around her to locations of teeth needing to be collected, and Jack knew that was wrong, since Toothiana never took a break. As the other Mini Fairies hovered to their queen's face closely, Baby Tooth fluttered to Jack. She gave him a few chirps of pleads and stared at him wide-eyed.

Jack stepped forward, approaching her Majesty. But just as he raised a pale hand to her, and opened his lips to ask what was wrong, Bunnymund's paw landed on his shoulder, gently pulling him back. The tall Pooka shook his head, his ears swaying. "Just give her some space, mate."

Jack paused, turning to look at Toothiana (who hadn't batted an eyelash at him), and nodded before silently stepping back.

Jamie pulled on the hem of Jack's hoodie. "Is everything okay?"

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but a heavily accented voice interrupted them. "Jamie, it is good to see you."

Jamie smiled and turned to the Cossack man approaching him. North's blue eyes sparkled as he halted before the boy, his hands on his hips. "We've been expecting you." Behind him, Sandy and 'Cupid' (Jamie made a note to talk to him later) walked past. North turned to Jack and said, "May ve have a moment alone?"

Jack paused, nodded, and patted Jamie's shoulder before walking away.

Jamie's eyes followed him until North placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and pushed him forth.

...

North's personal office was toasty, despite the ceiling and walls of ice. The farther wall was a large window overlooking the valley of the Antarctic, and beside that, a fire roared in the corner. Candles illuminated the room and made the blocks of ice sparkle. An ice model of what seemed to be a town was spread atop one of the many wooden tables. Other items, such as partly made toys and an ever-decorated Christmas tree, were also placed in the room. Jamie looked around in interest before a large plate was pushed to him. His looked at North's face as he pushed the tray of cookies closer to the boy. Jamie smiled and nodded in thanks as he took one and bit into it. Peppermint chip, his favorite.

North placed the plate on the nearest surface before speaking. "To discuss serious matters, we need your help."

Jamie swallowed before asking, "With what?"

North paused. Jamie recognized it as the 'how-do-I-explain-this-to-a-child' pause. He hated when adults did that. North stroked his beard and said, slowly, "Man in Moon is…leader of the Guardians, in a sense. He tells us vat to do, tells us how to do it. He created every single one of us." He paused to take in Jamie's face. "So, he is never wrong. He knows everything."

"Um…okay?"

"He has told us recently, that…something bad is coming."

Jamie paused. For him, 'bad' was a D or F on a paper, or breaking something in the house. For the Guardians, he knew that 'bad' was something dark and brutal, something like Pitch Black. "What are you going to do?"

"Man in Moon's vords are alvays cryptic. He has an odd vay of giving instructions. He hasn't told us vat is coming…exactly. Some knowledge is for him and him alone to know. But he has told us…that ven it comes, he vill take us to a land vhere ve vill be safe."

Jamie's eyebrows furrowed, disbelieving. "You guys aren't going to put up a fight?"

"Ve vill. But vhen an army sets into var, their leader must know vhen to draw back. And according to Man in Moon, ve vill need to do so."

Jamie nodded. This was a lot to take in, and he had to constrain himself from asking a stream of questions. The Guardians were going to have to leave. So…what would happen to them? Where exactly were they going, and for how long? But he swallowed again and asked instead, "So why do you need me here?"

North paused again. He was once again unsure of what to say. He took a deep breath and tapped his knuckles together. "Vhen ve leave this vorld, there vill only be enough power to take a few Guardians and a child. A child who not only believes that ve exist, but know that ve do. And…he vants that child to be you."

Jamie felt a surge of emotions through him. At first, it was excitement. An adventure with the Guardians? Absolutely! Then, it was confusion. Why him, instead of the other children? Then it was concern. Where were they going, still? Then it was fear. What about his family? What about his friends? What was the thing going to do?

"This is…very much to take in. If you have any questions, I vould be happy to answer."

He decided that he would have to ask each question in turn.

"I don't…I don't understand. Why me?"

"You vere the von who believed in us vhen no von else vuld. To Man in Moon, that is the sign of unimaginable loyalty. You deserve this more than anyvon."

"But…where would I go? Where would _we _go?"

"I don't know, Jamie. I'm sorry. But ve vill be safe there, I promise you."

"But…my family and my friends, what about them?"

"For all ve know, this thing is only coming for the Guardians and maybe a few others. I only know so much."

Jamie felt his feet give out, and he sat down on the wooden box behind him. His head was spinning. He couldn't comprehend what was going on, and when he heard a voice, it took a moment for him to realize that it was his own. "I'm scared…"

North's gaze was tender and sympathetic. He approached the boy, and as he did so, he removed a sword from a nearby sheath. He held the sword in his hand, tilting the blade so that it caught the candlelight. Its twin remained in the sheath.

"The first time I vent into battle, I vas thirteen years old. I remember, thirteen years old, staring at the enemy approaching. And you know vhat? I vas terrified. These men vere as thick as trees, as big as boulders. I thought that I vould be crushed underneath their veight. But I vasn't. My men and I escaped victoriously."

Jamie raised his chocolate eyes to the Guardian of Wonder. "And you didn't get hurt?"

"Oh, no, I vas holding a crutch for a veek."

Jamie chuckled.

North smiled, and continued, "But I did it. I vas so small, so likely to die, but I made it out alive. And I see no reason vhy you can't, either. So are you going to be brave, or vill you decide to remain here? The choice is yours and yours alone."

Jamie didn't speak for a long time. When he did, his voice was slow and steady, far too grown for a child.

"I'll be brave."

* * *

><p>"Kozmotis Pitchiner, but you may call me Mr. Kozmotis if you like."<p>

The tall, pasty man bowed with the grace of a snake. Despite his cordial greeting, Jackson felt a sense of unease at once. Mr. Kozmotis had an air of dread around him. When he raised himself to his full height—which, Jackson noted, was at least a foot taller than him—he looked at Jackson with fascination. It was as if Jackson were a pretty new animal at the petting zoo.

It took a moment for Jackson to realize that Mr. Kozmotis was awaiting a response. "I'm—"

"Jackson Overland, I'm aware." He spoke with an accent Jackson did not recognize. It may have been British, but it was smoother and deeper. But he was more focused on the fact that he knew Jackson's name before even knowing it.

"How do you know my name?"

"May I come inside?"

Before Jackson could respond, Mr. Kozmotis stepped past him and entered the inn. Jackson felt a spark of annoyance. The one thing he hated more than anything else was an invasion of privacy. Mr. Kozmotis took a few steps, estimating the room's features with disdain. He ran a slender finger over the spread of the bed and shook his head. "Mansnoozie never really updates these rooms, does he? Shame."

He continued strolling around contently. He noticed the still-running television and turned it off with a flick of his finger.

Jackson glared daggers into Mr. Kozmotis's back when it was turned to him. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Before that, I'd like to speak of your arrival." As if that were obvious, Mr. Kozmotis gave Jack a bemused smile. "People passing through Burgess on the bus usually leave right away."

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure." Mr. Kozmotis picked up the brochure, scanned it with his eyes, and put it back down. "It's a shame, though. You held such promises." He didn't pause to let Jack speak. "But don't you find this town interesting? The townspeople are so nice. Have you eaten at The Clover yet? Their spaghetti is lovely, trust me."

"The town is fine," Jackson replied curtly. "But I'm still leaving."

Mr. Kozmotis clicked his tongue and shook his head. He dragged his hand on the surface of the drawers. "Jamie will be most disappointed."

Jackson felt a trigger go off inside him. He glared at the intruder without trying to conceal it. "How do you know Jamie?"

"Everyone in town knows everyone." Jackson recalled Jamie saying that, and he had to remind himself that Mr. Kozmotis and Jamie both lived in town. Just as he was thinking along the lines of 'Alright, maybe he just knows Jamie because he does', Mr. Kozmotis continued, "Especially Jamie Edward Bennett. Poor little boy, with his head filled with such tales of insanity. I've heard rumors. Once he's fourteen, off to the loony shack for him."

Jackson bit down a growl. This guy was a few words away from a punch in the face. "I'm not here to listen to you call a boy insane and—"

"On the contrary, Jackson, I find Jamie's tales most endearing. Why, if I'd had that imagination as a child, you wouldn't see me running a bank. He'll be successful, I'm sure."

"…You still haven't told me how you know my name."

Mr. Kozmotis smirked darkly. He reached into his coat and pulled out a book. And not just any book, Jackson realized, it was a book entitled _They're Out There—Mysteries, Mythical Creatures, and the Unexplained Phenomena. _He could see the papers jutting out from the pages.

Jackson felt his breath catch, but he wasn't going to falter before Mr. Kozmotis. "How do you have that?"

"Jack Frost." This guy sure did have a specialty for dodging questions, didn't he? "A new addition to his tales. And do you know who he thinks I am?" Mr. Kozmotis's eyes darkened as he spat out, "The Bogeyman." He scoffed and opened the book. "The one tale that I am most disagreeable with. But you know, Jamie's never been quite this excited before. I daresay he's ecstatic to meet you…again." He said the last word with emphasis.

"Did you _steal _that from him?"

Mr. Kozmotis feigned exaggerated hurt. "Don't sugar-coat it, please. I merely found it when he left it at The Clover. Which was why I came to you." He approached Jackson and held the book out to him. "Jamie and I aren't quite on agreeable terms. But you, he'd be happy to talk to. Would you be as kind as to return this to him?"

Jackson took the book with careful fingers. Flipping through the pages, he found nothing out of place. He felt something on his shoulder, and realized that it was Mr. Kozmotis's hand patting him gently. "It's a shame you'll only be here for tonight. Jamie will be so displeased."

It was only until after he exited that Jackson realized three things:

Mr. Kozmotis knew that Jamie had been at The Clover.

Jamie had taken the book with him when he'd left.

Mr. Kozmotis had known where Jackson was.

* * *

><p><strong>MYTHOLOGICAL BEING ALREADY LISTED:<strong>

Tooth Fairy

Easter Bunny

Santa Claus

Sandman

Jack Frost

The Bogeyman

Mother Nature

The Fates

The Leprechaun

The Groundhog

Cupid

Baby New Year

Father Time

Mother Goose

**If you would like to extend the list, please do so.**


	4. Frost P3

**FLASHBACKS **will be signaled.

* * *

><p>Jackson found himself standing before <em>Santoff Claussen, <em>Burgess's local toy shop, fifteen minutes later.

His idea to find Jamie had been the obvious one. There was a glued note to the back of the book reading _If found, please return to JAMIE BENNETT, _followed by what he assumed to be Jamie's mother's phone number. So he called her, and she picked up on the second ring. The following conversation consisted of introductions of the two, suspicion on Miranda's half, explanation on Jackson's, and reluctant directions to _Santoff Claussen. _

Santoff Claussen was actually just down the street from the Sweet Dreams Inn, placed on a corner splitting the roads leading to the river bank and the West Village, the larger area of Burgess housing several neighborhoods and Lake Buzwik. The toy shop held the appearance of a log cabin, with a porch holding several rocking chairs and a checkerboard. An old-fashioned wooden sign hung over the door entitling the building. The front door was made of glass and wood, and when Jackson opened it, a bell went off.

The front room held a mystical atmosphere. It lacked the toys Jackson saw in other toy shops, such as video games, computer and television items, etc. It held classic things that he thought were a bit outdated but also authentic. One corner held painted rocking horses. Model airplanes and puppets hung from strings on the wooden ceiling rafters. Board games took up one rack, puzzles took up another. Dolls sat on a platform surrounded by a train track with a moving locomotive. Barrels of plastic swords, lines of Matryoshka dolls, and arrangements of fire trucks and cars filled in every spare place. The front counter held an old-fashioned cash register and a display of fruit cake and cookies. The whole place smelled of smoky wood.

Business was absent, though Jackson supposed that this place had as many lazy days as any other store. He craned his neck around, trying to find Jamie or at least the owner. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Footsteps approached from the back room. The door opened, and Jackson had to fight down a wide-eyed stare at the size of the man entering. He was at least 6'11", maybe even over seven feet. He was as thick as a boulder, his shoulders broad and his hands like iron skillets. He seemed to be in his sixties or seventies, with a thick white beard going down his chest and thick, bushy black eyebrows atop icy blue eyes. In black overalls and a plaid shirt, inside a toy shop, Jackson got a very Santa Claus feel from him. Though maybe that was what he was going for. The tattoos on his bulging forearms reading Непослушный and Хороший made him a bit intimidating, however.

"Good evening," the man said in a heavy Russian accent. "May I help you vith something?"

Jackson reached into his satchel and pulled out the book. He noted the spark of familiarity in the man's eyes as he did so. "Jamie Bennett's mom said that he would be here, and I wanted to give this to him."

"You must be Jackson. Jamie speaks very much of you." Jackson couldn't help but think that Jamie would be a good news anchor one day. "I am Nicholas St. North, but you may call me Nicholas. Jamie is in back. Please, follow."

He opened the wooden panel of the desk, allowing a passage for Jackson to follow him to the back room. He did so, taking a moment to ogle at the size of the doorway, and stepped inside.

This room seemed to double as Nicholas's office and workshop. Another smaller desk was tucked into the corner, but several wooden tables took the majority of the room's space. One held the wooden model of a rocking horse, with cups of paint surrounding it. Another held parts for car models, and another held various wooden carvings of game board pieces, wooden models, etc. Sawdust littered the floor, and the lights shone on the carving utensils.

Jamie was sitting before one of the tables, carefully painting a wooden car bright red. His eyes flickered to Jackson, returned to the car, and darted back to Jackson with a jump of realization. He put the car down as his face broke into an ear-to-ear smile. "Jackson! What are you doing here?"

Jackson held up the book with a smirk. "I came to return this to you."

Jamie jumped off the wooden stool and jogged towards him. He took the book as he said, "_Thank _you. I thought I'd lost it."

"Yeah, um, about that…You _did _take it with you when you left The Clover, right?"

"Uh…Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did."

It was a silly question, because Jackson already knew the answer. He wanted to tell Jamie of how Mr. Kozmotis had had the book, but that was about the creepiest thing you could tell a kid, wasn't it? That some guy took one of your possessions when you weren't looking? Or worse, stole it from your home? "Did you go anywhere after that?"

"I went back to the library in case Mom checked there. Why?"

Mr. Kozmotis must have gotten the book there, then. Jamie must have put his bag down and had it stolen when he wasn't looking. "I, um…I just stopped by there just now, you must have left it on a table."

Jamie nodded, though looked confused. He must have thought that he had made sure to take the book when he'd come to the toy shop. For a moment, he considered telling Jamie the truth, but decided against it.

Nicholas stepped past them and picked up Jamie's painted car, careful not to touch the damp parts. After tapping a few blank spaces with the brush, he nodded to Jamie with a smile. "Thank you for help, Jamie. It is most appreciated."

Jamie nodded and turned back to Jack. "Nicholas gave me the book. I help him make a few toys sometimes."

"I vas just cleaning out utility closet. It is no big deal."

"I've already told him about you." Jamie sat down again, spreading the book open on the table. "About how you're Jack Frost. He says that I should make more pictures."

"Jamie—"

Catching Jackson's slightly exasperated tone, North smiled and shook his head. But Jamie seemed hurt and confused at Jackson's voice. "Is is fine. Jamie believes I am Santa Claus. I suppose, with beard and shop, it vas inevitable. Jamie has been vaiting for you, Jackson. For his entire life." He gave Jackson a wink before turning to the table, taking the brush and walking over to the nearby sink to wash it under the stream of water.

He returned to the table and placed the brush in the tin holding several of them, and continued, "So vhere are you from, Jackson?"

"Cincinnati, originally. I just decided to set out for a trip, y'know? I'm not really headed anywhere in particular."

"Do you have career?" As he spoke, Nicholas pulled out a pair of plastic safety goggles and pulled them over his head. Approaching a large wooden block, Jackson's eyes widened when Nicholas lifted a chainsaw and began revving it. Jamie quickly moved behind Jackson.

"Um…no, not really…I—" He flinched when the chainsaw roared to life. "_I have a pretty good amount of money in savings, and—" _The chainsaw bit into the block, sawdust spewing up in a yellow fountain. "AND I THINK I HAVE IT COVERED FOR NOW."

"VERY VELL." Nicholas bellowed over the roar. A chunk of wood fell from the block. "I COULD ALVAYS USE SOME HELP AT SHOP." He laughed at his own joke. "ANYVAY, I TRUST YOU HAVE MET MANSNOOZIE. VERY NICE, YES?"

"UM…YEAH. CAN WE STOP TALKING LIKE THIS?"

One last bit of wood fell before Nicholas killed the engine. He shook the sawdust from his beard and clothes. "Yes. Sorry. Velcome to Burgess, Jackson. I hope you find everything to your liking."

"Thanks." Jackson looked at the watch on his wrist, formed an 'oh' with his mouth, and said, "I have to get back to the inn if I'm going to have time to look around before I go." He nodded to Jamie and Nicholas in turn. "See you later, I guess."

"Bye, Jackson." "До свидания!"

When the teenager had exited the store, Jamie sighed and turned to the book. He opened it to his latest bookmarked page and sighed at his picture. "I'm never going to get him to believe before he goes, will I?"

North, who had put on his goggles and raised the chainsaw once again, lowered it with a sympathetic sigh for the boy. Jamie was the kindest kid he knew, and he was unfortunately very easily broken. He set the chainsaw down and smiled. "I think I have idea."

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>Sophie always had a funny was of sleeping. She slept on her stomach, her rear end in the air and her mouth hanging open. Jamie would walk by her room some nights on his way to the bathroom and laugh at it.<p>

But now, he looked at his sleeping sister and felt close to hugging her. Instead, he extended one of his mittens and softly patted her head. "Goodbye, Sophie."

Pulling his hat down, he turned away before he started crying. He was already wearing a shirt, vest, jacket, hat and boots, but he still felt cold. He exited his sister's room without looking back.

His mother's room was at the end of the hall. Standing at the door, his head peeked into the gap of the door and the wall. His mother was so exhausted from work that she had not bothered to change into her pajamas or even pull over the blankets. She lay sprawled over the bed, one leg hanging off, her hair bun strewn and glasses resting on the nightstand. Jamie knew his mother was a dangerously light sleeper. Opening the door further would wake her, and she would see him, and ask what was wrong.

So instead, he stepped away from the door and crept back into his room. He was surprised to find that the white-haired winter spirit was already at the window, staring inside worriedly. Jamie opened the door, not bothering to close it.

Jack turned to the boy, gripping his staff tightly. Frost swirled up the wood. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be…"

…

When they arrived at the North Pole, even North was hardly up to talking.

Toothiana and Bunnymund were conversing in solemn voices. Cupid stood alone in the corner, watching the scene before him silently. Sandy was hovering near the windows, as if searching for something coming. Jamie knew that there was, he just didn't want to think about it.

North gave him a nod and turned to Jack. His voice was a low rumble. "Jack, you understand vhat vill happen. Sandy and Cupid vill remain here. It is vital that all of us accompany Jamie. Don't leave him."

Jack nodded stiffly. "Of course not."

North nodded and looked down at Jamie. He leaned down as close as he could with his large frame and took Jamie's shoulder.

"Jamie, vhat you are doing is braver than any of us could ever imagine. You are not only helping us, you are helping Man in Moon and all children. Thank you."

Jamie nodded with a lump in his throat. The more time that passed, the more anxious to go he felt.

North stood and turned to the other Guardians. "It is time."

* * *

><p>Jackson spent the rest of the evening walking around the streets of Burgess. He found that the town held several interesting but common things, such as a pet store, a bakery, a history museum, etc. The school was beside the City Hall on the east side of town. The school had three buildings, one for elementary, one for high school, and a gym. There was a field for football practice as well. It had no other sports fields of its own. The West Village was essentially a large collection of neighborhoods on the other side of the Atherton River. Lake Buzwik was planted in the middle of the Village. The hospital was a few miles away, and, to his surprise, so was a zoo. He thought it would be enjoyable to visit, but by the time he finished walking around the stores, it was close to 5:30 and it was not within walking distance regardless. So instead, he swung back by the The Clover for dinner (Mr. Kozmotis was right, the spaghetti <em>was <em>lovely) and retired to the hotel for the evening.

Half past seven, Jackson heard a knock at his door.

He sat up from the bed, setting his laptop aside. Rubbing a wrinkle from his sweater away, he opened the door with hope that it wasn't a six-foot-tall British man with shark teeth.

Instead, he found a ten-year-old boy with large brown eyes bouncing on his heels with a long wooden staff in his hands.

"Jamie? What are you doing here? Your Mom will—whoa, Jamie!"

He grunted when Jamie turned the staff to enter the room, accidentally hitting Jackson with the bend. Jackson looked out onto the parking lot to see if his mother was awaiting him, but she was nowhere to be seen. He shut the door to block out the chilling cold.

He turned to Jamie, who began speaking like a caffeinated chipmunk. "AlrightNicholas saidthatIcouldgiveyouthissinceitwasyoursandsinceitwentwithmeintotheportalIknowthatifyoutouchityou'll—"

"Jamie, slow _down! _What are you saying? What's with the staff?"

Jamie took a deep breath. "This used to be yours. The Man in the Moon gave it to you."

"The who in the what now?"

"Man in the Moon. I'll explain later. But listen, you gave me this when you pushed me into the portal. I kept my memories when I went into the portal, so if you touch this, you should remember, too!"

Jackson took a deep, slow breath. He liked Jamie, he did, but this was going too far. Sneaking away from his mother during the day was one thing, but at night, in this weather? He'd give her a heart attack! "So you're saying that if I touch that staff…I'll remember being Jack Frost? And I'll remember the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus, the Sandman and the Easter Bunny?"

"_Yes!"_

Jamie pushed the staff to him. Jackson gave him a hard look to tell him that this was no longer humorous. But just to prove a point, he raised his hands and, with another stern look, took it in his hands.

Silence passed.

When Jamie saw that Jackson's face remained one of indifference, he deflated. He stared up at Jackson, crestfallen. "You don't remember."

"Jamie, there was nothing _to _remember."

"No, there is!"

"Jamie, that's enough. I thought it was funny for a while, but do you realize how late it is?"

"I came here to help you remember!"

"Jamie, I'm not going to remember because there was nothing to remember to begin with! I am Jackson Overland, not Jack Frost! All that stuff you say was _never real_."

"Then why do I remember it? Why did I recognize you when you came into town? Why else would I come here?"

"Jamie, please. I am tired of this. Unless you have something to convince me—"

"You're eighteen years old. Winter is your favorite time of year. Your favorite food is ice cream, your favorite flavor is strawberry. You like vanilla in your hot chocolate. Your favorite book is _Hamlet. _And sometimes, when you're lonely, you lay down and stare at the stars and wonder if there's someone out there that cares about you."

Jackson felt his stomach clench and his breath catch. He wanted to tell Jamie _enough, _stop making this up, but he wasn't. All his words were true. He had turned eighteen this past August, and his favorite time of year was Winter, when snow fell either fluffy of thick and you could use it as powder or to build snowmen. He loved strawberry ice cream because it made him think of his memories of hot summer days, running to the ice cream truck with coins in his pocket. He liked vanilla in his hot chocolate because it reminded him of the way his home smelled like in autumn. He loved _Hamlet _because he loved unhappy endings. He sometimes sits down, stares at the stars, and wonders if there will ever be someone who cares about him because, when your father kicks you out of the house at sixteen while your mother's away, leaving you with a bag of clothes and black eye, leaving your mother to sneak money into your funds without contact with you, _that's what you do._

"Jamie…how—?"

"I remember. I remember you and your friends. I remember _us _being friends. I remember you saving my life, I remember thinking that you were dead and that it was all my fault. I remember seeing you today and thinking, 'He's alive!' and having to remember that you don't remember me." Jamie's voice broke like delicate porcelain, and his chocolate eyes welled with tears.

Jackson stared down at the staff. Somewhere, deep down, hardly even there, there was a seed of familiarity that he couldn't pinpoint.

"_Please. _I want to remember you. _Please _believe me. _Please _don't go."

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>Jamie felt himself crash onto hard ground in a blast of heat and cold.<p>

It only took him half a second to realize it was a forest floor. He could feel his body sliding on fallen leaves, felt a thick root bruise his calf. His chin hit the ground and was scraped on impact, but he kept his mouth shut to avoid damage to his teeth. He felt a cut on his hand and felt the staff roll from his grip.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the portal vanish in a puff of wisps. Jumping through it was like falling through a wind tunnel, and all he could see was white.

He lifted himself up and looked around him. He was in a forest, though he had already known that. It was likely late into the night, as everything was blue and black. He heard crickets chirping loudly, and he could see a starry sky through the thick canopy. It was slightly chilly, but he was dressed prepared.

He grabbed the staff and swayed to his feet. He heard a snap of a twig behind him, and span around, resulting in whiplash. But no one was there. He felt dread creeping up on him. What if there were snakes he couldn't see? What if monsters lurked here? Should he stay here or wait until morning?

He heard another snap of a twig, farther away. But then there was another, closer. Jamie barely stopped to think before he stumbled in the other direction. Another twig snapped, clearly as if in warning. Jamie didn't take it. He began walking away, and when there was a shuffle of leaves, he took off sprinting.

He stumbled in the darkness of the forest, huffing and panting. The thing pursued him, twigs snapping, leaves sliding. Jamie stumbled over the roots and slid in the leaves. He held the staff closer, unwilling to lose it. He dared not turn around to see who it was.

He saw lights ahead, and continued in that direction. Whatever was behind him gained speed. He lurched forward, his heart pounding against his ribs and his breath hot. His vision was blurring from tears of tiredness and fear. He broke the forest line without knowing it, and his feet hit asphalt harshly, but he didn't stop running, because he heard the thing behind him hit the asphalt, too, and he kept running, not caring to look and—

There was a flash of light.

Jamie halted so suddenly he fell forward. His hands caught his face from hitting the asphalt, though the staff clattered onto it, and his hands were already cut and stung on impact. He couldn't bring himself to sit up, because whatever was ahead of him or behind him would surely get him first. So his squeezed his eyes shut, tears running down his face, waiting for whatever would come.

"Hey, mate. Hey, are you alright?"

He raised his head to the thick Australian voice. A man was shutting the door of a beaten-down silver truck, hurrying towards him. He wore dirty overalls and a gray T-shirt. His skin was quite sun-kissed, and black tribal tattoos covered his biceps and peeked through his neckline. With this, his ash-gray hair and striking green eyes, Jamie felt a jolt of familiarity. But surely, it couldn't be…

"Mate, what's wrong?" That was his voice, wasn't it? "What happened?"

Jamie was too dazed and focused on his voice to notice that the man was kneeling down to him, green eyes filled with worry, shaking his shoulder. The man took his thumb and lifted Jamie's chin with it, observing the bloody scrapes. "Talk to me, mate. What happened? Did someone take you?"

"I…I…Something was chasing m-me…"

The man lifted his eyes behind the child, and Jamie did the same, but found nothing. He felt himself being lifted to his feet.

"Probably a wolf, maybe a coyote. Jamie, what were you doing out there?"

"How do you know—?"

"Where you were? I didn't. Mate, you have the whole town out looking for you. Your mum's worried sick."

"My Mom?!" Jamie felt a pang of joy and confusion.

The man sighed and bent down to pick up the staff, handing it to Jamie and ushering him to follow to the truck. "Yeah, your mum. Jamie, come on. I'll take you home, mate. We need to get you patched up."

"B…But who are you?"

The man's look was sympathetic as well as confused. He put both of his hands on Jamie's shoulders and looked him in the eyes sincerely. "Mate, it's me. Aster. Why—?" He sighed and gently led Jamie to the passenger's side of the truck. "C'mon, let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Sunlight shone through the curtains and pierced Jamie's eyelids.<p>

The boy stirred and groaned, rolling over to avoid the rays. His eyelids were heavy with sleep, as was the rest of his body, and he was relieved that it was still the weekend. He could sit here and wait to get up when he was ready. His droopy eyes went to shut again before he saw his clock. 8:37. He felt something in his groggy self stir. Wasn't his alarm supposed to…?

His limp hand hit the button atop the clock. 8:37 flashed to 8:20 and back.

He'd set the alarm for the wrong hour.

He felt his body jolt in alarm. Jackson's bus would be leaving in less than twenty minutes!

He threw the blankets back and jumped out of bed, filled with sudden vigor. He stumbled for his boots, tugging them on before realizing that he was still in his pajamas. He considered changing, then realized that there was no time and bolted for the door, grabbing only his hat and jacket.

Sophie and even his mother were still asleep on this weekend morning. He quickly but silently flew down the stairs and unlocked the front door before tearing down the steps of his house.

Only after he exited the house, the bitter, sharp cold striking him through his thin pajamas, that he realized that he would have to run all the way out of the West Village to get to the bus stop Jackson was taking. Grabbing his bicycle, he stumbled on and zipped down the sidewalk and onto the road.

This was the farthest he'd ever gone on his bike. He rode down the entrance street and onto the crossing bridge, feeling a cold wind lap colder watery air against his face.

He saw the bus now. It was huffing and ready to go, but maybe if he hurried—

The bus moved forward, and Jamie's stomach lurched. His feet span in mad circles on the pedals. He moved faster and faster, but the bus turned the corner, and he did, too, but he did so too fast. He didn't crash, but he pulled the brake so fast that he had to jumped off and let the bike clatter.

The bus passed another corner and disappeared from sight. It was gone. Jackson was gone.

He felt the telltale signs of crying. He felt his throat burn, his eyes water, his lungs writher. His hands, stinging with cold, clenched and unclenched. He and the others would be stuck here, forever and ever…

"What—? Jamie, what are you doing?"

He heard footsteps padding for him, and felt something thick and warm on his back and shoulders before he could see who it was. But he recognized the voice, and, with a gasp of relief, saw the face of Jackson Overland, staring down at him in bemusement, breaths coming out in puffs of air.

"Jackson!" Despite himself, Jamie threw his arms around the teenager's waist and pulled him tight. He hadn't left!

"Yes, it's me. You're going to get yourself hypothermia, kid, what are you doing here?"

"I thought you left…"

Jackson's eyes softened. He sighed and knelt down to Jamie.

"Listen…what you said last night…Those things you told me, about remembering and those things you know about me…"

"You believe me now?!"

Jackson held up a finger, as if to say 'Whoa, buddy, slow down.' "Hold on. Most of those things you may have just guessed or heard from someone else." Except for the stars thing, but he didn't say that. "And don't forget your Mom could have cut my nose off if she found out I was with you. _However…_"

Jamie held his breath.

"…I may just stay here a while."

Jamie laughed uncontrollably and hugged Jackson again. Jackson paused awkwardly—this had to be the most attaching kid he'd ever met—but gave him a squeeze with one arm. Then he stood, pulling his coat around Jamie tighter, and motioned them away. "Alright, come on. You need to get home before you or your mother dies."

Jamie chuckled, still giddy with glee, and pulled up his bicycle. Then he paused, staring upwards, and Jackson asked, "What's wrong?"

His voice caught Jamie's attention, and the boy said, "Nothing. Want to come over for breakfast?"

"Will that be okay with your mother?"

"Probably not…"

They chuckled, and Jamie pulled himself onto his bicycle. Jackson asked who the Man in the Moon was, and Jamie told him, and their entire conversation was absorbed.

What Jackson hadn't noticed were the small, white flakes drifting from the sky all over Burgess.

The first snow in eighteen years.

* * *

><p><strong>MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES ALREADY LISTED:<strong>

Baby New Year

The Bogeyman

Cupid

Easter Bunny

The Fates

Father Time

The Groundhog

Jack Frost

The Leprechaun

Mother Goose

Mother Nature

Sandman

Santa Claus

Stingy Jack

Tooth Fairy

**If you would like to extend the list, please do so.**


	5. Untold Secrets P1

**FLASHBACKS **will be signaled.

Thanks to everyone for the support!

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>The sword in her left hand was as long as her leg. It was made of pure silver, the surface carved with intricate designs as soft as a feather's touch. The sword was delicately curved almost in a wisp, but could cut a diamond in half.<p>

The sword in her right hand was shorter. Made of raw bronze, the designs were bold and harsh. The blade was wickedly sharp, with a hook on its inside. It was almost a sickle.

Toothiana held her breath as she held the weapons. How long had it been since she'd grasped them? She'd no idea. Her small hands were protected by the gold plates of the grips. She held the blades away from her.

Toothiana's room at North's workshop wasn't nearly as spectacular as her palace. To be fair, she very, _very _rarely spent time there. There was a large satin cushion for her bed, one gargantuan dresser, and a few miscellaneous items. The windows let the stark white light of the North Pole pour onto the floorboards.

She hated leaving her Fairies at the palace, but there was no possible way that North would allow them all to stay there at the Pole. He'd been stressed enough as it is, and it took Toothiana at least a century herself before she became used to the never-ending chirping and tweets. Baby Tooth and the others were tending to deliveries.

When the door to her bedroom swung open, Toothiana jumped so harshly in midair that the swords clattered to the floor.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Bunnymund held his paws up defensively. Toothiana let out a shuddering breath when she saw that it was just him. "Don't get off your bike. It's just me."

He quickly bounded over to the fairy queen. She hovered downwards to collect her swords, and he was about to help her pick up the second one before deciding against it. Toothiana sloppily set the swords upon the dresser.

"Sorry," she laughed softly. "I'm just…I mean, I'm not used to being here in the North Pole, I'm worried about the fairies, I'm worried about Jamie…I'm nervous."

"We all are." Bunnymund patted a paw on one of her soft shoulders. "Don't worry about it."

Toothiana nodded, but Bunnymund could tell that she was still worried. She opened her mouth, shook her head, and turned away from him, flitting about twitchingly. "What if it doesn't go right? What if it's all done in five seconds?"

"Then there's no harm done. We appreciate the help, Sheila, but you don't have to do this."

"But I feel like I do."

Toothiana's eyes turned to the windows. Another reason that she missed her palace so. By this time, she'd be watching the sun, a burning yolk on the horizon, setting on the horizon, sending the pink clouds aflame and casting mysterious shadows upon the mountains. Here, she could scarcely see the white and gray canyons of ice through the haze of snow.

"You probably know more about this than I do, Tooth. Than any of us do. I'm not going to be able to say much that'll help, but…just know that if you mess up, you haven't done anything wrong."

Toothiana nodded shakily before turning back to her swords. She grasped them again and held them firmly. She'd need to be strong, and brave.

She'd have to face the exact thing that she'd feared for more than four hundred years.

* * *

><p>Adjusting to life in Burgess was much easier than Jackson presumed it would be.<p>

Finding a place to live was his first priority, naturally. He was surprised to find that the Sweet Dreams Inn was actually an apartment hotel, something he learned from walking around the third and fourth levels. The Sweet Dreams in had sixteen inn rooms and sixteen apartment rooms. Mr. Mansnoozie happily let him move in to apartment 403, which held two rooms, a bedroom and a kitchen/living room. The apartment was six-hundred dollars. If he was careful, utilities could be kept at one hundred and twenty dollars. Cable and internet would be seventy dollars, groceries he could do without (part for snack foods and drinks), and all other utilities he estimated would round out to five hundred dollars. He was probably looking at one thousand, two hundred and sixty-five dollars monthly. Purchasing it took out a small chunk in his savings. He would need to refill it later to repay his mother.

So, living place: taken care of. Adding the homely details could be added later. Now he needed a job and maybe a car, or even a bicycle. This would actually be harder. But the newspaper added the jobs needed, even if there were few. He could be a cashier at the gas station, a delivery boy for the newspaper, or a vender at the zoo. Those were the only options available at the time.

Now, he sits at The Clover for breakfast. The eggs were a bit mushy and peppered, but the biscuit and bacon were good. He'd been in Burgess for a week now. He'd done little things. He'd renewed his driver's license at the car depot, got a library card and a few books, and memorized a few of the locations. Jamie kept a constant watch on him, making sure he was as comfortable as possible. Saturday had rolled around again, so no school for Jamie.

When the boy entered the restaurant in a gust of cold wind (the snow had fallen to a few inches), the first thing Jackson noticed was the napkin in his mouth. As Jamie approached, Jackson's eyes widened. The napkin was spotted with blood. "Whoa…you okay, sport?"

Jamie opened his mouth, flashing the gap where a tooth was once rooted before dabbing it with the napkin again.

"Yeesh. What happened?"

"I lost a tooth."

"Yeah, I see that. How?"

"I was sledding and hit a tree root. I fell forward."

"You okay?"

"Just bleeding." He seated himself in the booth, placing his telltale book on the table. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the slightly bloodied tooth that had been lost. "I'm going to go give this to my friend Tooth soon."

"Wait, who are you giving your tooth to?"

"What? Oh, no. Her _name _is actually Tooth."

Jackson nodded slowly at first—after all, what kind of name was that?—before nodding quicker and smirking. Jamie was giving a girl one of his teeth…"Let me guess."

Jamie opened the book to the page of the half-hummingbird woman with bug like wings and large amethyst eyes.

"The Tooth Fairy," finished Jamie.

"Thought so," replied Jack. He downed the rest of his coffee and reached into his wallet for his money. "And you're going to give a dismembered, bloody bone structure to a girl because…?"

"She pays me every time I lose a tooth." Jamie opened his mouth and showed one of his still-growing molars. "She gave me five bucks for this one a few weeks ago."

"Five bucks? Geez, that's more than I've made in a year."

Jamie giggled and tucked his book into the inside pocket of his vest. The blood flow had ceased, his tongue occasionally darting out to lick away some spare droplets. "Tooth's _crazy _about teeth. She keeps pretty much every kid's teeth in a box in her home. He jerked his head towards the door. "Want to come with?"

"How far is her house?"

"She's only home at night. She's always at the University or the dentist's office, and since it's the weekend, and her shift at the zoo is at one on the weekends—" Jamie took a deep breath of air "—she's probably at the dentist's office. That's what she's studying to be."

"Alright, let's go." Jackson pulled out a five and two ones and placed them on the table. He followed Jamie outside into the blowing cold, pulling his jacket tighter around him. He'd need to find a heavier jacket somewhere soon, because this one didn't cut it.

Jamie stepped along the edge of the sidewalk. There was no way in any life that his mother would allow him on a bicycle in this weather. The roads were slick with ice.

"So how are the therapy sessions going?"

Jamie bit his lip. For some reason, having Jackson know about his therapy sessions with Dr. Thaddeus was embarrassing. Given, not as embarrassing as having mothers pull their children closer when he approached, but embarrassing. "Fine. I guess. Dr. Thaddeus is still kind of iffy on you being Jack Frost."

Jackson nodded. He had met Dr. Thaddeus only briefly one. Jamie had informed him that he was his therapist, and although he worked to help Jamie 'outgrow' his 'obsession', he actually had no problem with it. "Speaking of which, how's the plan coming?"

Jamie's face perked up. 'The plan' referred to Jamie's plan to help the Guardians regain their memories and return to their former selves. "I haven't gotten anywhere lately, but maybe if we talk around with some people, they might remember something about you."

Jackson glanced at him. "Did you invite me to visit the Tooth Fairy because you wanted money or progress?"

"Either-or."

The dentist's office was across two streets from The Clover. It was a small brick building with a bright green door and bright orange, ceramic "Spanish" tiles on the roof. Marigold bushes sat outside. A small painted sign hung amongst them, reading: _Burgess Family Dentistry. _

Opening the door, they entered the small lobby, containing two cushioned benches and a chair. A static television played some old rerun of _I Love Lucy. _There was only one other person in the dentistry, a tall brunette with rosy red lips. Jamie leaned up to the reception window and rapped on the glass. "Tooth?" he called.

"I'm back here!" a voice called behind the glass and towards the back of the building. "Come on back."

Jamie turned to Jackson as he pushed open the door to the hallway. There were four rooms and a bathroom, from what Jackson could see. Jamie turned to Jackson and explained, "Dr. Peikko, Dr. Karius and Dr. Bactus are the only dentists that work here. Tooth just hangs around for extra work for her record…whatever that means."

They entered the document room. There were five shelves of documents ready, in manila folders. The room smelled of old paper and was rather dark. One lamp was in the far corner, though Jackson could only see the light it shown from behind the shelf. He could see a large shadow moving. The shadow's owner was large, he could see, with sharp claws for hands. He could see it fiddling with some folders (maybe?) and shifting.

"Tooth?"

The shadow moved backwards and approached them. Jackson unknowingly stepped back as it approached them, its figure looming. And it turned the corner of one of the shelves…

…revealing the owner to be short teenager with a perky smile. "Hey, Jamie! Nice to see one of the kids still visits me."

'Tooth' was about a head shorter than Jackson, and probably about a year or so younger. Her head came to his shoulders. She had a…exotic appearance. She had smooth olive skin and large amethyst eyes lined in thick eyelashes. They had to be colored contacts. Her chocolate hair was in two braids that hung halfway between her shoulders and elbows, highlighted with gold and streaked with slight bits of green and blue. She was pretty, Jackson had no doubt, but very…outlandish-looking. She was dressed in a white lab coat with _Toothiana _printed on the left breast (he thought that 'Tooth' was just because she liked teeth but that was her actual _name?_). Bright pink jeans poked out from underneath it and brown boots went halfway to her knees.

She walked past Jamie to another shelf behind him. Jackson noticed that her movements were quick and twitchy, almost hummingbird-like. "And to what honor do I have this visit?"

"I lost another tooth."

A smile went from ear-to-ear across her face. _Gosh, _her teeth were white. Jackson wanted to say bleached, but they seemed naturally (if not unearthly) pearly. "Did you, now?"

Jamie nodded and pulled out the tooth in question. He held it out to her. "M'lady."

Tooth took the bloodied piece of bone without so much as twitching. She placed it carefully in her breast pocket and dug out five bucks in its place. "M'lord," she replied as she passed it to Jamie.

"This is Jackson." Jamie jerked his head to Jackson as he placed the money in his pocket.

Tooth's large amethyst eyes turned to the taller teenager with a pleasant smile. "Hello, Jackson. I've heard a lot about you." She held out a hand, and Jackson took it with a single shake. Either her hands were very small or his were very big.

"Hi. Um…I haven't heard too much about you."

She laughed shortly. She _did _have a cute laugh. "I'm Toothiana Punjam. Nice to meet you."

"You, too. Jamie told me about you. So, uh…you collect children's teeth?"

"Sounds gross, I know. But since Jamie came to me with the Tooth Fairy…" she glanced down at the said child. "…identity, I decided it would be a nice thing to do. My parents did the same thing for me."

Jamie glanced between the two of them. An idea seemed to form in his head, and with a smirk, he said, "You should look at Jackson's teeth."

Jackson turned to him with a look of bemusement. "My what?"

When Tooth seemed just as confused, Jamie explained, "His teeth are really good. Almost as good as yours."

"I wouldn't say tha—_augh!"_

Jackson's statement was muffled when Tooth suddenly pulled his lips open. She tilted his head this way and that, looking at every tooth in his mouth. Jackson sent a panicked look to Jamie, who only giggled.

"Wow," Tooth breathed. "Like freshly fallen snow…" She seemed to realize her words a moment later, and stepped back with a nervous giggle and a blush. "Sorry. I just like teeth...a lot…"

"I picked that up," sighed Jackson. He ran his tongue over his lips where she touched them. Was it weirder that he noted it, or was it weirder that she tasted like mint?

She coughed and turned to Jamie. "Any updates you want to tell me about?"

"I think Dr. Pérez is the Tooth Mouse?" Jamie pulled out his book and opened to a page with a crudely drawn mouse in a hat. "I don't know; it's hard to tell."

"I'm just about done for today," Tooth said as she approached a leather satchel seated on a chair. She removed her lab coat, pausing in her white sweater before pulling on a thick cobalt-blue coat. She folded the coat into the bag and heaved it over her shoulder. "I'm heading home before I hang out for a bit. Do you gentlemen have any plans?"

Jamie shook his head as the three of them entered the hall. "Not really."

"I'm going to look around for a job," Jackson said.

As Tooth pushed open the door to the lobby, pulling a pair of white gloves onto her hands, she said, "You know, I think Aster is—"

"Jamie?"

Miranda Bennett's eyes narrow behind the lenses of her glasses. She leans away from the reception window and asks, "What are you doing here?"

"Hanging out with Tooth," replied Jamie. His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm scheduling Sophie's next appointment," replied Miranda. Her eyes went to Jackson. With a pause, she placed her hands on her hips. She recognized him. He was the man that her son was suddenly hanging around, the one who called her to ask where he was, the one who had caused her son to speed out on a bicycle in freezing weather _twice. _"And why are you with…?"

"Jackson Overland."

Miranda nodded slowly, recalling the name, before turning to her son. "You didn't tell me you were hanging out with Jackson."

"…You didn't ask…?"

"Jamie, I thought I said you were only allowed to stay in The Clover when no one's watching after you."

"I was going to give Tooth the, well, tooth I lost."

Miranda sighed and turned to the teenager with an exasperated frown. "You're still collecting the teeth?"

Tooth shrunk at her words. Usually, the other adults just laughed awkwardly or amusedly. Many had grown used to the oldest Punjam girl collecting the teeth of the town's children and putting them in ornament boxes. But Miranda always questioned her; always saw the weirdness in it and nothing else. Though, Tooth supposed, perhaps it was because she was wanting to do that to Jamie _herself, _not with someone else. "Yes, ma'am." She gave an awkward thumbs-up. "He only has four left. Ha-ha…"

"Jamie, I want you to ask me before hanging out with people I don't know."

Jamie flushed with embarrassment. "I know Tooth. And I know Jackson."

"But I don't."

"You didn't know Tooth."

"Tooth's different."

"How?"

"Jamie, we're not talking about this anymore. I want you to go out to the car now."

"Why?!"

"Because I said so."

"Um…" Tooth cleared her throat awkwardly. "Ms. Bennett, I'm sorry to interrupt, but don't you think you should do this in a more private—"

"Tooth, didn't you say that you had somewhere to be?"

"I—"

"_Tooth."_

Jackson watched as the brunette flinched and hung her head low as she stepped past the agitated mother. The door opened and closed in a gust of cold, leaving Jackson to catch a glimpse of her pulling a pair of fuzzy earmuffs onto her head. Jamie glared up at his mother. "Don't talk to her like that! You're always mean to her!"

"Jamie, don't talk to _me_ like that. Get in the car, now."

"I—"

"_Now_, Jamie!"

Jamie glowered at his mother with the intensity of a fully grown adult. Miranda glowered back with one hand raised to point to the exit. Jamie pulled his vest around him and his book close as he stormed past her and slammed the door behind him.

Jackson didn't know what to do. Even if Miranda's treatment of Tooth was uncalled for, she had a point. Jamie was hanging around with a recent stranger who he never talked about. A stranger who, for some reason, had her son with him for an unusual amount of time. He knew how mothers were, they got worried. And probably hurt, if their sons preferred to spend more time with strangers than with themselves.

Miranda turned to him, pulling her leather jacket together. "Would you mind telling me when you're going to be with my son, and where?"

"Yes, Ms. Bennett. I'm sorry."

Miranda nodded slowly. Jackson got the feeling that she was expecting him to be uncooperative. "Thank you. And please don't think I'm being rash. I don't know you."

Jackson held up his hands. "I thought you knew where we were. I'll ask from now on."

"…Alright." Miranda murmured something to the receptionist before turning for the door. "Goodbye, Jackson."

"Goodbye, Ms. Bennett."

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>Though the cold didn't bother Toothiana very much (her feathers seized together in the cold to cover her skin), she was agitated with the accompanying symptoms. Cold usually meant blasting wings, intense snowstorms, and ice flakes that stung into her eyes and wings. This usually had her stumbling off course and wouldn't be so much of a problem if she could fly lower to the ground. But she couldn't risk being seen by a child, lest they have a fit and alert their parents.<p>

So she was at least thankful when she arrived in the cold airs of Burgess peacefully. In the forest, things were dark and crisp. Frost lined the leaves and stems, and she pondered if a familiar winter spirit had anything to do with that. She recognized the trees, the roots, the feeling of unnamable dread.

The entrance was blocked by the barrier of golden sand made by the maker himself. It could only be passable if one had it upon them beforehand. Toothiana removed the pouch at her hip and poured out the teaspoon-worth of Dreamsand onto her palm. She brushed it through her crest and bodily feathers, making sure to leave the pouch in the roots lest it be taken in the process.

She passed a toeless foot into the barrier, and easily slid through. The rest of her body sunk into it, and the cold blueness of the night was replaced with a heatless darkness. She maneuvered carefully into the chasm, feeling the icy stone walls with her small hands until there was nothing left but what lay underneath.

What had once being a never-ending land of black stone and gilded gray cages, a labyrinth of stairs and halls, with the crude imitation of the Globe, was now nothing. The floor stretched on forever in a gray haze. When she hovered close to it, the haze didn't move.

She could see only one shape other than herself in the void. Hovering close, she recognized the telltale traits. The black cloak, the ashen skin, the hair like spider legs. Kneeling on the floor, his head hung and his spindly hands in his lap. He didn't stir even when he knew she was there.

"And to what purpose do I have this visit, your majesty?" Pitch spat.

* * *

><p>Baby New Year<p>

The Bogeyman

Cupid

Easter Bunny

The Fates

Father Time

The Groundhog

Jack Frost

The Leprechaun

Mother Goose

Mother Nature

Sandman

Santa Claus

Stingy Jack

Tooth Fairy

**If you would like to extend the list, please do so.**


	6. Untold Secrets P2

**FLASHBACKS **will be signaled.

I DO NOT OWN.

* * *

><p>And so, Jackson spent the rest of the day tending to his priorities.<p>

He went to the automobile lot, attempting to see if a vehicle suited for him would be there. Unfortunately, the manager wasn't present at the time and the only other workers hadn't the slightest ideas what they were doing. So, a half-hour spent looking and inspecting vehicles was wasted.

He went shopping after that. He carried staple items in his basket: two cereal boxes, two soda bottles, a bag of chips, milk, bread, peanut butter, jelly, etc. all for around a dollar a piece (excluding three dollars for the milk and two for the bread). He also had a pair of gloves, socks, toothpaste and deodorant.

He was strolling down the fruit and veggies aisle of the local general store (the Hoot-N-Dollar), examining a box of peaches. He had accidentally tripped backwards over a stray orange and fell back without warning. He cried out when he hit a mass of objects that fell in a thunder to the floor. The sound was similar to a load of bouncy-balls falling, and when he sat up, he grimaced at the display of apples now rolling all over the tiles.

"Wha-? Oh, you've got to be tossin' me…"

Jackson felt himself being tugged up with a single hand. He recognized the person in question as the farmer that Jamie had pointed out. Aster, wasn't it? He was taller than six feet tall, with broad muscles underneath suntanned skin. In dirty overalls and a dark blue T-shirt, Jackson could see the black tribal tattoos on his biceps and chest. How old was he? His face was young (handsome, but Jackson didn't really want to linger on that) with striking green eyes, but his hair was stark gray.

Aster huffed as he pulled Jackson—a hundred-and-fifty-three pound male—to his feet with the ease as knife through soft butter. "I _just _got done with this stuff, mate."

"I didn't…I mean, I tripped over something."

Aster lifted up one of the apples around them and glared at its red skin. "And now they'll all be bruised."

"Sorry…?"

There was a shout and a yelp as a woman with a grocery bag fell back on one of the apples and crashed with a spray of groceries. Jackson and Aster flinched. "…And now I'll probably be blamed for that."

"Yeah…"

"Alright, why don't you stand over there while I clean this up?" Aster gave him a gentle prod away from the mess.

"I can help—"

"You've helped enough."

Jackson felt the no-nonsense, grumpy, ill-tempered attitude emitting from him. This was the exact type of person he didn't want to run into in Burgess. He didn't blame the guy—he _did _knock over the display, but it was an accident. No need to act as if it was on purpose.

"I said I was sorry."

"Yeah, I heard you," Aster huffed dismissively. He placed the apples in his hands inside the rectangular display, probably just to get them off the floor before picking them up later.

Jackson clicked his tongue. "Yeah. Well. I'm Jackson. Nice to meet you, I guess."

"Yeah, yeah, I know who you are. Can't say the same for the latter."

Alright. Let's try one more time, see if this will work out. "So how do you know me, exactly? Did Jamie tell you?" He made sure to add a bit of humor into the last sentence.

Aster, however, was anything but amused. Already kneeling to collect more of the fruit, he sent Jackson an icy glare over his shoulder. "No. Miranda told me. Good job getting Jamie into more of a mess than it already was." Okay. No. This wasn't going to work. That was it.

"I didn't mean to do that."

"You didn't mean to hang out with him without telling his mum? Away from other people? Alone?"

"Alright, first of all, I thought he already told his _mum _where he was. I didn't invite him to come to my hotel room, he just showed up and I sent him home with North. That's it. That's all that happened, thank you."

Whether if it was because of the assertiveness or the mocking of the accent (alright, maybe _that _was uncalled for), Aster's gaze went icier already. He stood to his full height and turned to the teenager. "So if I tell you to stay away from Jamie, you will?"

"If I'm with Jamie, it'll be with adult supervision. Okay?"

Aster didn't say anything for a long moment. He simply shook his head and muttered "wanker" under his breath before strolling away.

* * *

><p>"You can try, but you can't glare a hole into that thing."<p>

Jamie only raised his eyes from the dashboard of the vehicle to glare at his mother a moment. Miranda immediately dropped her smile. Jamie hadn't spoken a word since they'd left the dentistry. With Sophie away at a friend's birthday party, the minivan was silent.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

Jamie glanced to glare at her once again silently. Miranda thought that he would remain silent again until Jamie said, "Tooth tried to tell you about that."

Miranda sighed inwardly. She knew that she treated Tooth too harshly. She kept trying to improve herself, and she thought that she was, but every time she was near Tooth, it seemed that she was in a bad mood. Out of all of Burgess, Jamie defended Tooth more than anyone else. Well, as much as her little sister did, anyway.

"And I'm sorry that I talked like that to Tooth again. And to Jackson."

At his name, Jamie's glare shifted from the dashboard to the passing street.

"You know you were supposed to stay in The Clover."

"Yeah, I know."

"And you're supposed to tell me when you're leaving The Clover to hang out with your friends."

"You never said that."

Miranda glanced at him. "I didn't?"

"No. Because whenever you find out that I left The Clover to go to Aster's farm, or when you find out that I left to go to the Santoff Claussen, you always brush it off. You say, 'That's okay'. You only freaked out because I was with Jackson."

"That's not true, Jamie."

"It isn't?"

"…I don't _know _Jackson, Jamie. I don't know anything about him. For all I know, he can be a convicted criminal."

"Peter could be a convicted criminal. When I went to play video games at his house without telling you, you didn't say anything."

"Oh. Well. I know Peter, and I know his mother very well."

"If you knew Peter, you would know that that isn't his name. It's Tommy."

Miranda nearly smacked her forehead into the steering wheel. She hated when her eleven-year-old son got the upper hand on her. If George were here, he'd be laughing his head off at his son's sarcasm. "Alright. I see your point."

"Good."

"But I still need you to tell me when you're with Jackson. Alright? Just…we need to start talking about things."

"Alright. I want to talk about who my friends really are."

"Jamie…"

"You don't want to talk now, do you?"

"That's all you ever _want _to talk about!"

"The last time I brought it up with you was six months ago. I remember because the next day you made me start my sessions with Dr. Thaddeus."

Ouch. Miranda flinched. "Just tell me when you're with Jackson alone!"

"Why?"

"Because I'm your mother, that's why!"

"Jackson may be a stranger, but he treats me better than you do, _Mom!_"

And with that, Jamie climbed out of the vehicle and slammed the door behind him, leaving Miranda stunned and speechless.

He stomped into the house, ignoring his mother's calls and marched up the stairs. He stormed into his room and slammed the door behind him…

…before reaching under his bed for the rope of bed sheets he always had handy. He opened his window, letting in a howl of cold wind, and tossed it out. Hooking the other end to the bedpost, he carefully latched around it and began carefully climbing down the side of his house. He hit the snowy ground with a crunch of ice and took off running.

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>Pitch rose to his feet, his cloak pooling at the ground. When did he begin to dress like such? She remembered when his clothes were imperial, with a high collar and silver stitching, with the embroidery of a swirling mass on his chest.<p>

"Sorry for the mess," he snipped at her. "I don't really get the chance to clean up the place."

Toothiana opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. After a few too many moments of silence, she meekly uttered, "…Hello, Pitch."

"…Alright…This is civil. What do you want?'

"I'm here to deliver a message."

"You can tell Sleepy-Head that he can stop worrying about his pretty widdle dreams. Sometimes nightmares just happen naturally. I have nothing to do with it."

"Yes, yes, I know. But this message isn't from Sandy."

"North, then? Or what about Bunnymund? Oh, I will be _so _joyous if Frosty's wanting to talk to me."

Toothiana huffed to herself and said, "It's from Tsar."

Pitch stiffened, if only slightly so. He didn't speak for a moment, and when he did, it was dryer than usual, even for him. "And what does _Manny_ want to talk of?"

"He wants to make you an offer. To come with us."

Pitch's expression, when he turned to her, was bland and uninterested. "For what?" He made an "oh" shape with his mouth, pointing his index finger upwards. "Oh, _that. _The 'Big Event'. The 'Big Bang', if you will."

"He says that it's your choice."

"And why would he care about me coming along?"

"Maybe because he cares?"

Pitch chuckled dryly, giving Toothiana a wry smile. "Now, now, Toothie, dear, you're smarter than that. Tsar Lunar does not care about me in the slightest."

"He did once."

Pitch halted.

"…some time ago, he did."

Pitch finally seemed to crack just in the slightest. She knew that she should have taken that opportunity to do something significant, but what? What could _she _say? Oh, someone else should have come.

"Maybe…maybe he's forgiven you? Again? You know Tsar, he doesn't say much…"

Pitch took a deep breath and stared into the void of emptiness that was his cage. Toothiana caught the glimpse of his old self, the Kozmotis Pitchiner that had reformed from a pit of despair into a high throne before falling deeper. "No, he doesn't, does he?"

"And…After all that's happened last year, maybe…maybe he wants to start over?"

When Pitch's shoulders curled inwards, Toothiana's stomach clenched. She's said something wrong. "What happened last year was of his own doing."

"Pitch—"

"_All_ that has happened was of his own doing! He brought all that has happened to his precious little children upon himself!" As he spoke, Pitch turned to her with his bony fists curled at his sides. His dark eyes, glazed in gold, were ablaze with fury.

"Pitch, please—!"

"He _exiled _me! He brought me up, told me that all was well, and right when he said that that was that, he put me back where I came from."

Toothiana felt a voice of objection rise into her throat. "You rejected the offer. He offered you to become one of us, and you said no."

"Fear kept children alive! Not your…your flimsy beliefs and dreams! What was I supposed to do?"

"Change your ways?"

Pitch suddenly swung a fist at her. At the last moment, it hit his invisible prison, and gold shimmered where it made contact. Toothiana immediately jumped back out of instinct, her tail feathers flaring in alarm.

"_Who are you to tell me to change my ways? My answer is no! NO! Leave me! Leave me be!"_

Toothiana didn't know what else to say. Backing away from the barrier, she only suffered few more of Pitch's words before spinning around and exiting the lair.

She'd failed.

* * *

><p>"Can I help you—Wait."<p>

Jackson stepped back as Jamie pushed past him into his apartment. The boy paused for a moment, taking in the small altercations—a few pictures in frames, a jacket spread on the back of a blue armchair—before collapsing on the green sofa. The glass door in the left wall led onto a balcony, but the view was a subpar one of the nearby rooftops. The bathroom and bedroom were through the small hallway.

"No, no, no, no, you can't be here." Jackson closed the door before approaching the child.

"Don't worry about my mom. I can deal with her. Now, since you said you needed a job—"

"No, it's not that. Well, it sort of is. Just, look, we're not supposed to hang out with each other alone."

"We won't be alone in just a minute. I want you to look at this."

Jamie pulled out a scrap of paper from the spine of his book. Jackson took it and unfolded it. it must have been a segment from _The Burgess News, _the local newspaper in the small town. He read it to himself.

_Assistant needed at the Warren Farm. Assistant will need skills in gardening, including weeding, plowing, planting and harvesting. Assistant will also need to deliver products locally. Pay is $7.50 per hour. Please see…_

"Oh. Well, thanks for…"

…_E. Aster Warren._

"Nope. No, not going to work."

Jamie's smile fell instantly. "Why not?"

"Look, I met Aster this morning and I will assure you that he hates my guts right now. And I thought you said he owned the flower shop."

"He owns the farm _and _the flower shop." Jamie rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "Aster's mean to everyone he meets at first. And he's so desperate for help that he'll give you the job regardless."

"I'd rather not."

"If you don't, I'll tell Mom that you kidnapped me." Jamie's eyebrows rose on the last syllable.

"…Alright, let's go."

* * *

><p>Aster snapped the lid onto the coffee machine and hit the <em>Brew <em>button. The machine suddenly groaned in protest, as if in pain, and he sighed before hitting it with his fist. It spewed the black liquid into the mug underneath it with a huff of steam. Heaven knows he needed a new one, but never seemed to remember to buy one. For now, it was gritty water with a shot of black.

A knock pounded at the door, and he sighed as he walked through the kitchen to answer it. Before he replied, he called, "Who is it?" The last thing he wanted right now was that bloody dill Kozmotis asking for his loan money back.

"It's me, Jamie!"

Aster's eyebrow rose, but he went to undo the chain and lock. "What are ya doin' here now? Miranda didn't say—"

When he opened the door, the first things he saw was a familiar, fell-down-the-ugly-tree-and-hit-every-branch-on-the-way-down' face and a scrap of newspaper with his notice written on it.

"No."

Jamie's face dropped into a frown in the split second it took for him to slam the door. He put the chain back into its place, but Jamie was already pounding on the door again. "Asteeer! Come on!"

"Ain't happenin', mate. Not for that bloke."

Through the door, he heard a snort and a quiet, "I told you…"

"He really needs a job!"

"And there are places in town that really needs workers. Take him there."

"Who else are you going to hire?"

"Anyone but him. And _you _aren't supposed to be with him. I'm calling Miranda right now."

"Mom said that I'm allowed to hang out with Jackson if I'm with another adult. And _you're _here."

"On the other side of the door."

"Which means that, if he hurts me, you won't be able to stop it."

Jackson immediately turned to him with a look of horror. "What—?!" The door pulled open, and Aster glared at him dryly. "Oh, come _on_!"

Jamie took the scrap of paper from Jackson's hands and waved it at Aster. "He can do everything that you need him to do."

Aster turned his eyes to the teenager in question, looking him up and down. Jackson swore that, in one word, his look was, _unconvinced. _"_You _know how to farm? You look like you've never seen a speck a' dirt in your life."

"I helped around for some summer-break money. So…yeah…"

"And you have a license for driving?"

Jackson reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the plastic card, passing it to him. Aster read over it for a moment before handing it back with a sigh. "This isn't going to be a 'pluck the flowers and give 'em to Granny' job, alright? You'll actually be working."

"I understand that."

"…Fine. We'll try you out for a few days, and see where it goes."

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>It was odd, how something so important could be so contained.<p>

Bunnymund watched the drop of liquid within the vial. It did not touch the sides, but hovered between them, as if suspended there. What color was it? It seemed like water, taking the color of its surroundings.

He heard a knock at the door of his room, and set the vial d0wn to answer it. When he pulled the door open, he jumped back at the blur of blue and green speeding past him.

"I failed!" Toothiana flew around the room in a panic, her amethyst eyes already misty. Her feathers stood on end, and her wings beat with her words. "I didn't do it! I completely ruined it all!"

"What happened?"

She took a deep breath, and explained, "I went to Pitch. And we talked, and I almost convinced him, and I said something wrong, and I—I—"

"Sheila, shush, calm down." Bunnymund waved his paws at her, and she inhaled deeply. "It's fine. I already told you, you didn't have to do it."

"I know…But after what happened…"

"Tooth, if you thought that this was going to help settle things between you…Just…Look, Pitch isn't one to change his mind, alright? He's a nutcase and you shouldn't feel like you owe him anything."

Toothiana nodded slowly. Everything would be fine. She'd done nothing w…well, yes, she had done something wrong. But…it wasn't Pitch that she needed to apologize to, right?

Her mind seemed to light then, and she jumped at her own idea. Now, where to look…

"Bunny…Do you know where…You-Know-Who is now?"

"Um…No, but I think…I mean, around the grotto, you'll usually find—" Bunnymund cut short when he saw Toothiana's vigorous nod. He shook his head slowly, then firmly. "No. No, no, no, not after what happened."

"Bunny—"

"Don't you 'Bunny' me! There is absolutely no way that I'm going to let you! How could you even _forgive _something like that?!"

"What…Why wouldn't I?"

Bunnymund seemed to pause then, as if remembering something that she did not. But he pursed his lips and said nothing of it. "Just…Look, you don't understand—"

"No, _you _don't understand. I'm going to go, talk to her, and leave. That's it."

Before he could protest, she patted his head and chirped "Bye!" and took off through the door. On her way through the hall, she sped past a strolling winter spirit that stumbled in surprise. He stared after her for a moment, before turning to Bunnymund. "Where's she off to?"

"…To get herself killed…" Bunnymund sighed heavily.

* * *

><p><strong>List of mythological beings already listed:<strong>

Baby New Year

The Bogeyman

Cupid

Easter Bunny

The Fates

Father Time

The Groundhog

Jack Frost

The Leprechaun

Mother Goose

Mother Nature

Sandman

Santa Claus

Stingy Jack/The Pumpkin King/The Great Pumpkin

Tooth Fairy

**If you would like to expand the list, please do so.**


	7. Untold Secrets P3

**FLASHBACKS **will be signaled.

I DO NOT OWN.

* * *

><p>The phone rang out.<p>

Miranda sighed as she lifted her hands from the soapy dishwater and flicked the spare beads off. She dried her hands off with a nearby towel and picked up in the middle of the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom."

Miranda paused. Why on earth was Jamie calling her from upstairs? She exited the kitchen, pausing at the banister, and was halfway up the staircase when she replied, "Jamie, why are you calling me?"

"You said that I had to tell you when I hang out with Jackson."

Miranda sighed and pushed open Jamie's door. "That's not what I—"

Jamie's room was completely bare of human life. There was no book, game, or even a pillow out of place. It was also freezing cold, courtesy of the open window. Specks of ice drifted in on gentle air.

"…Where are you calling from?"

"Aster's farm. Jackson and I are going with him to give out deliveries."

Miranda approached the window, but paused with her hands at the latch when she went to close it. She followed the rope of blankets from the bedpost to the snowy yard below. "Jackson? But…I told you to tell me when you were hanging out with him!"

"That's why I'm calling!"

"But I meant for you to tell me _before_—"

"Aster says it's time to go. I'll call you later."

The call dropped a moment later. Miranda took a deep breath and turned for her room. She was going to need her coat.

* * *

><p>"Easy."<p>

"I've got it."

"Do you?"

"You saw my license, didn't you?"

Jamie felt very awkward wedged between Aster and Jackson at the moment. Aster's robin egg blue pickup truck only had three seats to ride in, a driver's and a passenger with a tiny space between. The bed was for the flowers and vegetables, with a wooden railing and green tarp covering them. Jackson was driving so Aster could decide if he was good for deliveries or not, and though he was otherwise fine, he sometimes veered too close to the curb or made too sharp of a turn.

"It's the house at the end, with the pinwheels."

"I see it. Who lives there?"

"The Punjam girls, B.T. and—"

"Tooth?"

"—Of course, you've met her."

The truck pulled to a stop in the turnabout of the cul-de-sac with a hiss. The house was classically appealing, with a crooked white picket fence, multicolored pinwheels in the grass of the yard, and several glass wind chimes on the porch.

Aster stepped out of the truck, pulling his jacket close, and called Jackson to the back. Jamie followed Jackson out of the seat and to the bed as Aster pulled out a potted lily of the sort. In the icy cold, Aster's heated greenhouse was the only haven for the flowers and vegetables at the farm. Without it, Aster would be out of business for the winter.

The three of them trotted up the brick steps to the white front door. Aster pressed the doorbell, and they heard it ring inside.

Twenty seconds passed, and Aster pressed the doorbell again. Thirty seconds passed. Not even an approaching footstep came to the door.

"Maybe they're not home...?" offered Jackson. He took a small twig from the potted dirt of the lily and flicked it away.

"It's a half hour before Tooth's shift...Tooth? It's Aster, I—"

When Aster went to knock at the door, it swung open.

Aster paused, expecting the teenager to appear and greet him, smiling brightly as she pushed a strand of brown or yellow hair behind her ear. He stepped forward, but stopped when he saw the lock. Broken.

He inched the door open more with a soft creak. "Tooth?"

But then he noticed the other things that were out of place for the house: the umbrella stand knocked on its side, the glass vase shattered into tiny pieces, the set of drawers pulled open with the items inside tossed about.

Aster looked at Jackson, who slowly set the lily down on the porch floor, before running inside with sudden speed. "TOOTH?!"

"Jackson?!" Jamie pulled on the teenager's jacket. His eyes were wide and scared.

"Stay here," Jackson said. He nodded to the boy before following Aster inside the house.

They ran out of the foyer, checking inside the kitchen and living room for any sign of the teenager or her sister. Even more signs of violence showed as they continued. Every drawer was either open or pulled out entirely, on the floor with contents strewn. Doors were open, a curtain was down, and a bookcase in the hallway was fallen against the opposite wall, books piled underneath. Jackson copied Aster when he ducked through the gap.

"Tooth?"

There was a sound of a door opening nearby. "Hello?"

Jackson and Aster quickly followed the voice to the laundry room, which was bizarrely just as ransacked. A stack of baskets was tipped over, clothes lay strewn about, and even the washing machine had the lint filter taken out. Tooth closed the door behind her, amethyst eyes wide.

"Hey." Aster huffed as he stepped over a pile of strewn clothes. He placed a hand on her forearm as he approached. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She did seem fine, with the exception of the multicolored hairs straying from her braids. "I-I was in the backyard. Someone tore down all the clothes on the line..."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, I got here and it was like this and I looked around but no one was here and now I'm just…I don't know!"

"What did they take?"

"Nothing! They didn't take _anything_! The safe, the jewelry, the TV, the computer, everything is here!"

Was it just an act of vandalism? Jackson wanted to think so, but the drawers and other items made him think that something was being looked for. He tiptoed over the clothes and asked, "Did you call the police?"

"No, not yet. I haven't been thinking straight."

"Jackson?"

He hated to admit it, but Jackson had forgotten about Jamie. Aster turned back to Tooth and softly said, "Go on and call the police." He turned to the other teenager and jerked his head to the door. "Jackson, go take care of Jamie."

Jackson maneuvered his way through the disheveled house until he was back on the porch with Jamie, who stared at him with wide eyes still. "What happened?"

"Someone broke in."

"Is Tooth okay?"

"She's fine. Hey, why don't you call your mom to pick you up? I don't want you sticking around here much longer"

"I don't think I'll need to..."

Jackson followed his gaze to the approaching blue minivan. Jackson groaned internally. It parked beside the truck, and Miranda Bennett exited, puffing steam through her nostrils (figuratively and literally) as she stared up at the two boys.

"Where's Aster?"

Jackson and Jamie both pointed to the front door of Tooth's house. Miranda stormed inside, paused at the mess, and called for Aster before disappearing. There was a quiet conversation in which Miranda asked, "Are you okay?" A moment later, she, Aster, and Tooth reappeared back outside. There was a bleat nearby, and a patrol was soon pulling into the cul-de-sac. Two lean officers exited and shut their doors behind them.

"Jamie, get in the van."

"But—"

"James Edward Bennett, get in the car!"

Jamie flinched and brushed past her to the minivan. Once inside, he waved to Jackson through the glass. Jackson waved back, but that only seemed to further annoy Miranda.

"I thought I told you to ask me before you hang out with my son."

"I thought that was why he called you. And we weren't alone, Aster was there."

"That's not the point. The point is that you didn't call me immediately!"

"I'm sorry."

Miranda took a deep breath, glanced back to the minivan, and said, "Maybe you should just stay away from my son for a while. Am I clear?"

"…Yes, ma'am."

* * *

><p>"You got the job, alright?"<p>

Aster slammed the car door behind him as he left. Jackson took a deep breath as he followed suit.

The policemen had questioned Tooth, instructed her to look into a home security system, and left with nothing else to do. Aster sadly told her that they had to leave, and Tooth said it was fine, but Jackson could tell she was worried. She had to leave the house in its mess to go to her job. She couldn't even lock the door behind her as she did so.

"I don't know what else you want me to do."

"Maybe do as you're told? It's a start."

"Alright. I doubt I'll run into this situation any time soon."

Aster stopped in his footsteps, and when he turned around, Jackson stiffened. But when Aster approached, his steps were casual and slow in the crunching snow. He stopped at the opposite end of the truck's hood. His eyes were a stark green in the white and gray.

"Miranda isn't being too overprotective."

"I didn't say—"

"I don't want you thinking it. I get it, you understand that you're in the wrong, and that's good for a bloke like you. But this has more to do with just being a stranger. It has to do with Jamie's…" Aster left the sentence hanging, as if he couldn't place the word.

"Complex? Ideas? Beliefs?"

Aster raised a hand and rolled it nonchalantly. "Let's say 'imagination'. She wants Jamie to have a normal life, but everywhere he goes, kids n' adults treat him like he has the plague. That's why she signed him up for therapy, even if it sounds festy. And Jack Frost, he's been waiting for 'im forever. They just can't set the restart button here. And I think it goes without saying that she hardly knows you."

"I'm going to stay away from Jamie."

"…Good. Now, you can use the truck however you like, I've got a spare." Aster turned back around, but paused to add, "And don't break it, or I'll 'ave your head!"

* * *

><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

* * *

><p>"Calm, Bunny. You're tense."<p>

Bunnymund cursed himself for thumping his foot anxiously. He took his back off of the pillar and did a few awkward hops to blow off steam, but it didn't work. He leaned against another one of the pillars and started thumping his foot again.

"Vhy are you so anxious?" North whistled, and a trio of elves stumbled forward with a plate of baked pastries above their heads. He picked up the plate just as one of them tripped and fell. "Cookies?"

"Nah. I'm good."

North shrugged and tossed the plate over the railing, and there was a small shatter far below seconds later. He turned his attention back to the Globe.

Bunnymund felt a tug on the fur of his leg, and looked down to the Guardian of Dreams. Sandy stared up at him with golden eyes, and a moment later, a question mark and an arrow appeared above his head, which he turned sideways. It was as if he was asking, 'What's up?'

"I'm just worried, mate."

Sandy paused, then replied with the figure of a winged person with drape-like extensions from their waist.

"Yes, it's about Tooth. She went to go…talk to someone."

A hand appeared next to the figure, with its forefinger and thumb connected into an _O_.

"I think she's okay. I hope so, anyway…"

Sandy rolled his eyes and gestured with his hand for him to stop being so vague on the details.

Bunnymund turned emerald eyes to the Cossack standing at the Globe. He shouted something at a yeti, who garbled in response before running off to comply. "Alright…You know that thing that happened to Tooth a long time ago?"

Above Sandy, a sphere appeared and burst.

"No, no, the other thing."

He signed with an image of a person struggling to walk. The image wavered as Sandy paused, and as his face lit up in panic—wide eyes a lift of a few inches from the floor—so did his images. Question marks, exclamation points, flowers and danger signs mixed together in a blur of alarm. His small arms flailed as quickly as a Mini Fairies' wings.

Bunnymund shushed him, and then felt stupid for doing so because there was no need. North took no notice. "Yes, she went to go talk to…You-Know-Who."

Sandy's face registered a mix of anger and disbelief, with narrowed eyes and an open mouth. The winged figure reappeared, waved sweetly to Bunnymund, and flew away. Sandy was upset that he'd let Tooth go.

"She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer! I'd go see if she's okay, but the tunnels won't go there."

Sandy looked around with a silent sigh. His eyes widened, and he pointed to the window looking out onto the Antarctic. Against the stark background of gray and white, a figure floated towards the workshop. It hovered down and out of sight.

A moment later, the person in question appeared over the railing.

"Ah, Tooth, velcome back." North didn't take his eyes from the controls of the Globe. Without another world to the girl, he whistled for assistance from the elves.

Bunnymund instantly knew something was wrong. Toothiana wasn't flittering or darting about, but her movements were slow and smooth, which was far too uncharacteristic for her. Her face registered indifference. Even her wings were no longer chirping.

"Are you okay?"

She responded five beats later. "I'll be in my room." She shakily nodded to the two Guardians before hovering away and out of sight.

Bunnymund glanced down at Sandy, who glared up at him icily.

"What?"

Sandy shook his head and floated away, never removing his eyes from the Pooka.

* * *

><p>What was she going to do?<p>

The house was a ransacked mess. She had to clean it up, put everything back in place, step-by-step, room-by-room. B.T. was still at the birthday party. Maybe she could ask Nicholas to watch over her until she was finished. And then she would have to do something about the door lock. Her shift ended at six. How was she going to manage?

Tooth ran her fingers as far as she could through her hair until it snagged in her braids. Oh, how she struggled to keep her and her sister alive and well. The state sent them funds every week, and though that and the money from her job had their essentials, including heating oil, balancing them left little room for luxuries. It was only three hours of television a week, no lights during the day, and internet and computer access was only accessible in the local library. Water was slightly easier, with washing day every Saturday. But the bills left them only fifty dollars for any other cost. She wanted B.T. to live like her friends, but she couldn't. Once clothing got too small, she had to trade or sell it. Birthday gifts were cheap and embarrassing. She couldn't talk about the latest TV shows and movies because she rarely saw them.

"Trudy, the birds need to be fed. Get to it!"

Tooth sighed at the name. Just like all the other employees at the zoo, she wore khaki pants and a khaki vest with a white T-shirt. Unlike the other employees at the zoo, her nametag was wrong. And it was quite a rude ordeal, as, when she submitted it, the comment she got was "What kind of name is that?"

She stood up from leaning against the wall, brushed over her shirt, and made her way to the ornithology building. Families awed at the birds behind the glass walls. She smiled as a little boy squealed at a parakeet, momentarily forgetting her problems.

She got a bucket of the insects from the storage closet and went to the hidden door of the hummingbird habitat (and by hidden, she meant it was the same color as the wall). She opened it with her key and stepped inside, instantly catching the attention of anyone watching. Some adults pointed at her as they cooed to the younger children, though that wasn't out of the norm for any zookeepers tending to the animals during working hours.

She heard a hum, and smiled at the green violetear hovering at her ear. The metallic feathers wavered between green and blue as it fluttered. As she poured the insects into the feeding bowl, its friends came swooping down from the canopy to eat. Ruby-throats, fiery-throats, and rufous-tails created a rainbow of feathers. The children squealed in delight.

When she exited the habitat, one of the children asked, "Do all hummingbirds eat bugs?"

Technically, she wasn't an educator for the zoo, but she was always free to answer. "Most of them do. Nectar and insects are their most primary sources of food."

"What else do they eat?" asked a mother as she bounced a rosy-cheeked baby on her hip.

"Our native birds love sugar water, but you probably knew that. They'll be fine with sap, if nectar isn't available. A few may even eat ashes or sand to get the minerals."

"Do hummingbirds actually eat pollen, or is that just a myth?"

She recognized the voice, and sure enough, there was that brunet teenager standing at the back of the small group. He gave her a small smile.

She gave the hint of a smile back, and answered, "Not directly, no. sometimes, when nectar is consumed, the pollen will stick to their beaks and they'll eat them as a minor source of protein."

Lilly, an actual educator, called attention to anyone interested in hearing about cockatiels. The group dispersed, but Jackson stepped forward and said, "Dentistry _and _ornithology? You're taking very alternative routes, aren't you?"

"_That _is what you pick up when you hear it over and over. Or, you know, you just read it on the internet. Just dentistry for me."

"Hm…Hey, you're okay, right? After what happened?"

"I'm fine. Just…" She brushed her yellow and brown bangs away from her face. "I have a lot to do tonight."

"Anyway I can help?"

"Can you buy and install a new security system?"

"Sure."

His nonchalant answer caught her off guard, and her smile dropped. "Seriously?"

"I mean, if putting buckets of water on door hinges counts as a security system."

She chuckled, and bent down to pick up the bucket.

"What's that?"

He pointed at the golden chain around her neck, its pendant glinting out of her collar at the hollow of her throat. She took it out, and held it out enough for him to see. It was a pyramid-shaped pendant, with shining red sides and a sharp tip.

"My parents gave it to me. Some sort of family heirloom, or something like that."

Jackson looked at the shining scarlet sides and gold lining, and said, "You don't think that that's what…?"

She caught on to the question quickly. He was asking if the pendant was what the vandals might have wanted. "It might have been, but it's nothing valuable. It's all glass and paint. So why are you here?"

"I'm just here to see if what I read on the internet was true. Why else would I be here?"

"Oh, I don't know, you could do what all the other teenage boys do. Shout at the animals, litter like it's no tomorrow, flirt with all the pretty girls…"

"Oh, so now we're flirting?"

She paused for a moment. Was he calling her pretty? She was about to reply when her supervising manager, Rodney, called out from the entrance of the building, "Trudy! Stop with the flirting and get to work!"

She flushed at the term 'flirting' again, but picked up her bucket and feebly waved goodbye to Jackson. Jackson awkwardly waved back, but he doubted that she noticed.

* * *

><p>Well, no more Jackson.<p>

Jamie was grounded for a week, possibly longer if his mother saw fit. He didn't even try to talk himself out of it, he knew he was going to be punished. He wasn't going to try and twist her words with things like "But you didn't _say…_" or "But I thought that that was only if…" He was in the wrong, he knew it.

That didn't mean he wasn't upset. He was, of course, as all kids were when they were punished, whether the punishments were right or wrong. He wasn't just allowed not to see Jackson, he wasn't allowed to hang out with any of his friends. Even Aster was off-limits. If he needed to be babysat, he'd have to stay with Mr. Yaga, the kind of creepy old woman a few doors down who smelled like raw chicken and cinnamon.

Miranda had taken away his video game privileges as well, which wasn't as much of a blow. He only spent about thirty minutes playing video games a night, spending the other time reading or doing homework. For now, he was coloring a new picture for his wall. It was an enlarged image of a Mini Fairy, holding a coin in one of its tiny hands. Though it was usually accompanied in a tone of confusion, he was told that he was good at drawing them. He carefully glided his hand out for its thin beak and went to adding more green and blue to its body.

When he was done, he stood up from his bed and went to his desk to find a pushpin. The desk was just underneath one of his windows, and he turned on the lamp atop it before pulling open and rummaging through one of the smaller drawers for a pushpin. He eventually found one and turned the lamp off.

But when the lamp turned off, the light it was emitting no longer reflected on the window, which overlooked the oak tree in the yard. The oak tree that someone was standing under.

He felt a sickening punch in his throat, the feeling you get when you see something scary but don't realize it at first. He wanted to say it was nothing, just a shadow, but he knew it was a person. He could see the head, shoulders, and torso…

"Jamie?"

Jamie jumped and turned around when Miranda called for him. "Dinner's ready, come and get it."

Jamie looked back down to the oak tree, but the figure was gone.

"Coming…"

* * *

><p>When Tooth returned home, she was surprised to find a red Ford Bronco II and a brown Chevrolet Celta pulled in front of her house.<p>

She shut the door of her maroon Trax and walked up to her house. The lights were on, and shadows were moving. But she doubted it was the vandals again, being so blatantly obvious. She opened the door slowly and looked around the foyer. The umbrella stand was right side up, the smashed vase fragments were cleared, the chest of drawers was shut and even dusted off.

"Hello?"

"Tooth! You are home!"

Tooth could recognize the accent anywhere. She walked to the living room, where Nicholas was walking around, finding strewn items to put in the drawer in his massive hands. Sanderson was behind him, reattaching a lamp shade to its base. The rug was placed in the center of the floor again, the pillows were on the sofas, and the curtains were pulled close on the windows.

"Сюрприз!" Nicholas laughed as he waved around the place. Sanderson looked up and waved at her, pausing to pick up an elephant figurine laying near-hidden under the sofa. "Ve heard vhat happened and decided to help."

"Oh! Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

"It vas no big deal, just some nip-tuck." Though judging by the now-standing bookcase, Tooth ruled otherwise. "Ve vouldn't want you and B.T. staying here like this, now vould ve?"

"Really, thank you. Here, let me get my wallet—"

"Absolutely not! A Samaritan does not ask for rewards." Nicholas put the drawer back into its chest and closed it shut. "Ve had the lock fixed, too. Very easy. I think ve have everything covered."

Tooth sighed with a smile. Nicholas always did things like this. Every now and then, he'd make B.T. a new wooden figurine for her collection, or give Tooth a new decoration for the house. This past Christmas, he'd showed up with a _tree _for them. Given, the thing left needles everywhere, and he'd had to trim and cut it several times just for it to fit under the roof, leaving it awkwardly lacking a section, but it was a kind thing to do, especially since they didn't have one.

"Is there anything I could to repay you guys?"

Sanderson signed for her to remain safe and call them if she ever needed help again, and gave her a comforting handshake as he left. Nicholas agreed, gave her a hug that nearly crushed her like a nut, and followed suit. She waved them both goodbyes as they pulled out and away.

B.T.'s party was going later than expected, but that was fine. Walking around the house, Tooth took note of just how much Nicholas and Sanderson had cleaned up. They'd even gone as far as to make the beds and fold the laundry. She was going to repay them somehow, whether they liked it or not.

Eventually, she changed into her green flannel pajamas and pink slippers. She wiped the makeup off her face, and as she was walking out of the bathroom, she pulled the ties of her braids out and ran her hands through them until all of her hair was loose.

She had just tucked her hair behind her ear when she felt a sudden pain at the back of her head. She gasped out as her mind when foggy and her vision slowly swam to black. She hardly felt her knees hit the floor before she was unconscious.

The person behind her lowered the baton and stooped down to her, black coat touching the floor. They flicked away her multicolored hair and reached under her neck until their fingers enclosed around something hard and small. They pulled out the red pendant, and with a hard tug, snapped the chain around her neck. They pocketed the pendant in their pocket before exiting Tooth's home, cloth-covered shoes soundlessly stepping away.

Yes, Kozmotis Pitchiner knew everyone in Burgess, big or small.

* * *

><p><strong>List of mythological beings already listed:<strong>

Baby New Year

The Bogeyman

Cupid

Easter Bunny

The Fates

Father Time

The Groundhog

Jack Frost

The Leprechaun

Mother Goose

Mother Nature

Sandman

Santa Claus

Stingy Jack/The Pumpkin King/The Great Pumpkin

Tooth Fairy

**If you would like to expand the list, please do so.**

**Merry Christmas!**


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